The Qunari and the HalfElf
by Angel Davis
Summary: This is my story about Seiren the half elf-half dragon as she is challenged with ending the Blight. She struggles for a purpose but one might just be able to give her one in the confusing land. on Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

The sent of pine overruled the different smells of the forest. To one passing threw the forest it was enough to make the difficult walk very pleasant, to one such as me who was trying to hunt in this god forsaken forest it was wise to not rely on smell, or even your ears would catch something that was echoed along the trees. I was relying on sight, and my tracking abilities to find my way around the different trails trying to find some sort of wild game to bring back to the Clan so that I could mask the reason why I wasn't in the camp right at that moment.

I did not want to be around the Elders any more that I had to, because they were talking about how Merrill and Tamlen would soon be bonded. I felt sick to my stomach from their petty gossip so I made a quick excuse to leave the camp so that I could be alone. Merrill and Tamlen were my best friends, and I wished them all the happiness in the world, but I was dreading this day. The day that they would pursue their love for one another and leave me all alone. The Clan shunned me; everyone in the Clan shunned me. They saw me as an abomination, and let's face it, I was one.

My mother had given birth to me, but I was not a full elf, in fact I was half elf half something else. I didn't know what the other half of me was, but it certainly was not of my so called father who was supposed to be an elf. It turned out that he must not have been, considering that most elves don't have dragon horns, diamond pupils, scales, claws, or four foot long tails. They couldn't smell rain from miles away, couldn't drag a Aravel that five Halla couldn't even make budge, they couldn't climb and glide from tree to tree, or see the distances that I could see. I had a small amount of the Gift, but that did not matter to the keeper, she still took Merrill as her apprentice.

There were only three people in the Clan who even would look at me, Merrill who could chat the ear off of a gossip, Tamlen who was my favorite hunter to hunt with because of his wit and charm, and Ashalle who had raised me and cared deeply for me. The Clan had acted like they had cared for me, but one day a group of drakes had attacked the Clan. We had came too close to a dragon's nest and they had attacked.

The drakes had stopped when they saw me and they talked to me. I had thought that I was going mad because there was no way that they could speak elfish or even common, but I was told later that I was speaking the mad hisses and growls of a dragon. I thought that I was speaking a regular language, but I was speaking dragon. I had convinced the drakes that we meant them no harm and they had left us alone for the rest of the stay, and from that moment on the whole clan had stopped looking and talking to me. I had saved them, but to what end? I would always be shunned, but this was the only world I knew.

I looked at my hands, they were covered to the elbow with golden scales, my nails or supposed nails were more like dark gold claws, they could rip through steel and even ironbark. My legs were only four toed, but the fourth toe was more toward the heel of my foot. I didn't actually stand on my heel, I was more comfortable with standing on my other three toes because of the ridge there, they were the feet of a dragon. My toes were very thick sharp claws that made it easier to dig into things with, so far the only thing that I couldn't pierce with it was the hide of a drake, and given enough time I could eventually pierce it. It just took time. Don't even get me started on the tail, it was at least four feet long, and right now it was wrapped around the tree branch giving me some sort of balance as I scanned the forest for prey.

I saw myself for who I was, someone that would never fit in, or even have a mate. I would be something that would never stop trying to fit in, so I would try to buy their own friendship with more meat that any other hunter could bring in, and with my amazing ability with the bow I was a force to be reckoned with. I had self taught myself the proper fighting techniques for hand to hand combat if by some chance I was attacked by someone with a sword.

Not that anyone would spar with a— I stopped with my self pity when I heard a snap of a twig. I looked down scanning the forest floor for the thing that had snapped me out of my own thoughts. I saw it, trying to move stealthily but failing horribly at it. Tamlen was trying his best; he was following the almost invisible trail of mine, while trying to be stealthy.

"Lethallan, please come down!" He called, I looked down at him. He had found the tree that I had climbed up in my haste to get away from it all. He could not see me because I was so high up in the tree, but he knew that I was up this tree. Both he and Merrill had joked that I only climbed trees to be closer to the sky.

"Come down Lethallan! Merrill is worried because you left in such haste!" He called, I slowly looked down at him and my eyes zoomed in on his face to see it etched with worry.

_Damn the creators!_ I looked into Tamlen's face; he knew how to do the eyes just right to make me do whatever he or Merrill wanted me to. I sighed in defeat, and I uncoiled my tail from the branch I was on, and I lightly sprang from the tree that I was perched on. It was like flying, well with the wind rushing threw my hair and it lightly tickled my horns that curved around my face. It like so many other things was over far too soon and I landed lightly behind Tamlen. I didn't make so much as a sound as my body lightly touched the ground. If I had done it with more style I could've not let Tamlen see me and I would've been able to sneak up on him.

"Merrill should not worry about me, I caught the scent of deer in the air and I wanted to restock the Clan's stores before we moved on." I stated, keeping a straight face, not showing any of the self pity that I had brooded over in the last few hours of sitting in the tree.

"Your job right now is to be _resting_ because you just got off of a half a day patrol. It's Fenarel and my patrol now. You go back to camp and if you don't feel up to sleeping, then I want you to help Merrill." Tamlen said, his eyes and voice were firm as he stared up at me. I felt myself sighing.

"Only you, Lethallan could make me cower like this. I will do as you say." I told him, he smiled and clapped my shoulder and I did the same to him. I was glad that he didn't flinch like the others when I touched him with my hands.

I turned and walked away from him, and I silently slipped back into the forest paths. I had to admit it, I was not at happy at the prospect of going back to the clan, but I did want to catch up on some sleep, and Merrill would help with that. As I walked into the Camp a small time later, after I decided to take a few detours and pick some roots, and herbs for Merrill, I felt my usual stone mask slip back onto my face as some of the Hunters that were standing at the edge of came stopped their conversation and glare at me.

They were still angry that I had become a hunter. I had the Vallaslin not imprinted on my face, but around my arms and legs. I didn't want anything that would make me out to be an elf when I was not one, as they kept on so happily reminding me. I walked through the group to see that they parted for me today, but I was short lived with getting away without some torment. A sharp pain traveled up my spine as I felt one of them stomp on my tail and I let the offender's foot stay on my tail. I turned my head to look at him with the stone mask hiding my pain and my anger.

"Would you please remove your foot from my tail, falon?" I asked the hunter in a kind voice. I saw his face turn dark.

"You think that we are falons? You are sadly mistaken abomination!" He hissed as he put more weight on my tail. I sighed and then yanked my tail out from under his foot without moving an inch and watched as he toppled over right on his back.

I was right above him as soon as his back hit the ground. He started up at me, this time there was more fear than hate in his gaze. He moved to get up but I was faster. I trapped his arms under my feet, digging my claws into the soft dirt on both sides of his body. He grunted but his struggles were futile. It was like a mouse struggling against a dragon.

"Then I will treat you as someone who is not my falon." I replied to him as I drew the bow from my back. His friends had not moved from their spots surrounding me, I believed that they were too scared to even make a move.

"Where's your quiver, little monster? You cannot harm me with just that!" He sneered to hide his fear of what I was going to do to him.

"Monsters don't need arrows to harm, just as dragons kill those who are not their friends." I told him as I slowly drew back the string of the bow. They all took a step back when an arrow formed in the bow.

"You still ready to not be my falon? Hmmm?" I asked his now letting the anger flow into my stone mask of a face. He now was swimming in his own fear, he was staring death in the face, and death was not happy. I pulled the string back further letting him hear the bow in my hands creak.

"Lethallan! Stop this right now!" Came the stern voice of Merrill from behind me.

I whipped the bow up pointing the arrow at the sky and let it loose. There was a piercing scream of a dying bird before it dropped right next to the Hunter's head. He looked at the giant pheasant with wide eyes. I slowly got off of his arms and sheathed my bow back onto my back and took the dead bird giving him one monstrous glare I turned to Merrill. She had the look that told me that I was going to be scolded.

I sighed and mentally prepared myself as I walked to her. I gave her the bag that held the roots and herbs and I walked over to the Aravel that the Dalish kept their food in. I dropped the pheasant in the back of the Aravel, I took the arrow out of the bird and watched as it slowly vanished. Merrill then decided to start scolding me. I walked as she was behind me talking about how I had scared her when I had ran out of the camp, and how she had told Tamlen to come and get me back. How I was being a child because I had attacked the Hunter for stepping on my tail when they were just trying to see if they could get a response from me. During her rant I had gone to my little Aravel that I shared with Ashalle and I had grabbed my bedroll and nodded a greeting to my foster mother who smiled at the ranting Merrill who was tailing me. I walked across came ignoring the eyes of the elves who watched us, I walked a small ways out of camp where Merrill liked to train. I strapped my bow to a tree and I rolled out my bedroll to slip into it to catch a quick nap before Tamlen came back.

I felt Merrill sigh and she sat next to me to examine the herbs that I had brought her. she was still muttering under her own breath and I reached out and touched her hand. She looked up and I smiled at her, a rare thing for me.

"Congratulations, Lethallan." I whispered to her as I slipped off to sleep. It was enough to make her stop muttering and to concentrate at her current task at hand.

I woke up to an almost dark camp. Merrill who should've been making poultice was no where in sight. I sighed and slowly got up and rolled up the bedroll, and grabbed my bow from the tree. When I entered the camp, the tension and sorrow hit me and I felt myself knowing that something was wrong. I quickly ran to the Aravel and threw my bedroll into it and then I searched for Merrill. I found her by scenting her discrete flower smell, and I found her outside the Keeper's Aravel.

I felt my blood turn to ice when I saw that the Keeper and a Shem were holding the struggling wailing elf, tears were splashing the ground as Merrill wailed in grief. Something had happened, and I had a feeling that it was about Tamlen. The Shem had an interesting look and smell to him, but I was more concerned about Merrill. I did have a few instincts of a dragon and dragons didn't like their own people being restrained. Lets just say that one snarl was all it took for them to release Merrill. Merrill looked up at me in shock, but then she remembered whatever she was crying about and ran straight to me and threw her arms around my neck and buried her head in-between my boobs.

I glared up at the Keeper and the Shem who was staring at me. I slowly wrapped my arms around her and I whispered comforting things. I spoke them in Drake so that it would piss the Keeper off, and make the Shem really confused. I felt her knees give out a moment later and I swept her off of her feet to carry her bridal style to a log that was not far from the Keeper's fire.

"Tell me what has made your heart break, Lethallan." I whispered to her switching to common, she sniffled and took a shaky breath.

"The Shem brought back Fenarel on his shoulders, and Fenarel was sick with a sort of taint. He told us it was from a mirror that Tamlen touched, and that he had blacked out. He died shortly after that. The Shem and Keeper also won't let me search for him; I know that he is alive! I just know it, Lethallan!" She began to wail again as I looked sharply up at the Shem.

"You would not let her go and search for her mate, Keeper?" I hissed at the Keeper, and she flinched against the anger in my voice.

"You do not understand, Da'len, she is my First and she must stay here. I cannot risk her in a foolish search that will just break her more." The Keeper said in a small voice.

"Then send me in her stead. I will not be missed." I told her firmly as I stroked Merrill's hair as she sobbed against my Dalish armor.

"Do you think that is wise? It will break her more if she looses you along with Tamlen." The Keeper said, keeping eye contact with me. I decided to break my stone face.

"Fuck you; don't act like you care about me." I snarled at her. Her face was one of shock, I had never been disrespectful to anyone in my whole life, I may have made silent threats, or even verbal warnings, but I had never cursed to an elder. She was stunned into silence, so the Shem spoke up.

"Your Keeper is right, you will not find anything of the man you knew as Tamlen, all you will do is cause both of yourselves more pain," He said.

"You have no right to decide that for either of us, just as you don't all of a sudden know me. I will go if she tells me to go, and you cannot stop me. Either of you." I said. I looked down at the now silent sobbing Merrill. She looked at me through bloodshot eyes.

"Bring me back something of Tamlen… please Lethallan." She begged me.

"Ma nuvenin, my Keeper." I whispered to her. She let me go and sunk to the ground to now stare at the fire. I got up and started to walk to the edge of the camp, the other elves stared at me and it didn't escape my notice that the Shem was following me.

"You know that this is foolish!" He whispered to me as I walked the camp.

"Then let me be a fool, I would rather that then a coward." I shot back as I walked into the woods. I looked at a sizable tree, and then I glared back at him.

"If you want to follow me, then be prepared for a run. I won't wait for you, and if you fall behind then it is your own fault." I hissed softly as I then dug my claws into the tree and climbed to the top within mere moments. I glanced at the night sky and I cursed my bad luck. I was going to rain soon, so I had to move quickly so that the trail wouldn't grow cold. I then pushed off the top branch of the tree to glide to the next one.

Soon I had a pace set and I was following the faint scent of Tamlen that curved through the woods. I found a stronger sent of both him and Fenarel further up a trail. I also found the bodies of three Shems around that place. They had been killed by the elves.

As I followed the trail I came across the body of something that I had never seen the likes of before. The smell of its evil rotting flesh had me almost bring up the lunch that I had several hours earlier. I notice that this kill was made a small time ago. I hissed and continued up the rocky trail, every so often I found new kills of the creatures until I found a cave. I walked into it to come to ruins of some sort of civilization.

There was a smell of dust and of those things that smelled of rotting flesh. As I walked into the cave I found a number of traps, and more of those corpses. They all lead to a door which had this tainted smell, I had smelled the same scent on the Shem. I slowly opened the door to be blinded by a white light. When the spots cleared from my vision I glared at the Shem that was standing over the remains of a shattered mirror.

"Next time, warn me before you intend to blind me with your stupidity, then I will close my eyes." I said. There was a ring of fresh corpses around him and he looked wearily at me and raised an eyebrow at me.

I walked slowly into the room and searched around, smelling. He watched me and I shifted ever so slightly so that I could reach the bow in case he chose to try to restrain me like he did with Merrill. He raised his hands to try to say that he meant me no harm; I still didn't relax until I was certain that Tamlen was not in the room. Then I could smell it, the rain had started. I cursed in Drake and slammed my hand into the wall. I put no strength into it, but the wall still cracked with the force of impact. The Shem looked at me, astonished.

"It stated to rain. Now I cannot follow the trail." I stated for the Shem's benefit.

I jumped when I felt a hand on his shoulder, not used to being touched by anything. "I am truly sorry for you loss." He said to me. I closed my eyes feeling the sadness of his statement well up inside of me, he had been right, and I owed him and the Keeper an apology when I got back. I turned to the door when something roared, and I could smell the overpowering order of wet bear.

"Prepare yourself, something big is coming down the hall." I said as I unsheathed my bow. He did the same with his swords.

I gasped when I saw them come in. Beasts that looked like bears, but had thorns and other things sticking out of furless bodies that were crimson and spotted with sores. I drew back my string feeling an arrow come into the string and I took aim as the Shem shot passed me. I checked my aim and shot the eye out of the first one that came through the door. It roared and the Shem slashed at its legs. I took aim at it again, when the second one charged me. I tossed aside my bow and dug in my feet into the stone as it rammed into me. I didn't budge an inch, and it reared up on its hind legs and managed to slash its claws across my abdomen. I snarled at it and plunged my claws into its blighted body. Blood splashed and fell like rain. Its blood burned the places that were exposed from the Dalish armor, and I felt white hot pain when the blood oozed into my own wound. It snapped its jaws at my throat and I managed to take it and flip it over with my claws still dug into its underbelly. I wrenched them down, effectively making its insides spill out of its underbelly. I held back a gag and then was caught off guard when the Shem's bear ran at me and jumped on me. I opened my mouth to roar at it when my mouth was filled with a hot trail of the things blood. I tried to spit it out, but I ended up swallowing a small amount of it instead. I coughed and shoved it back at the Shem. I didn't check my strength and it flew and hit the stone wall with a _crunch_ and it didn't move again.

My throat was burning and I sank to my knees as I felt the white hot trail slowly move down my own throat to settle in my stomach and to burn through my veins. My wounds stung with the same fire that now was taking over my own body. The Shem was next to me in an instant his hands on my shoulders; I shoved him off and slowly crawled to where I had thrown my bow. I picked it up when I saw a glint on one of the bodies. I took it and I saw that it was a pair of rings. Tamlen's rings for himself and Merrill. I slowly got to my feet and took deep breaths trying to ignore the pain that I felt with each step. I instead went to a place that would make the pain seem less than what it was. I half sunk into the Beyond, making my body take me back to the Camp, but not feeling the pain that it caused me.

The rain did nothing for the burning, it just washed away the blood from the battle, and with each step I felt the throbbing of the pain intensify. I made it to the entrance of the camp before I slipped and I felt the Beyond take its chance and grab me before I could stop the fall. The last thing I felt before I slipped into the dark abyss was me clutching the rings so that they could be delivered to Merrill.

I slowly opened my eyes to see the large green ones of Merrill staring back at me. I gave her a slow smile and slowly I lifted up my hand to show her the rings that were clasped in the golden claws. She gave a sob and then threw her arms around me as she started to cry again. I rubbed her back for a short time then I convinced her that I wanted to get out of the stuffy Aravel. She gave me some room, knowing better than to try to help me up. As I walked out of the Aravel I slowly felt my limbs start to feel less shaky and more coordinated as I stretched them. There was a problem though, I knew that my wounds had been treated, but I could still feel the small cramp of something evil twisting in my core.

After I had ran around and climbed one or two trees I slowly ended up sitting next to Merrill as she was crushing Elf Root in a round bowl. The glint of both the rings could be seen around her neck. We both looked up when the Shem and the Keeper walked over to us. Merrill gave me a sad look as she got up and stormed passed the Keeper. The Keeper for her part looked a little sad as she watched her First storm into her own Aravel and slam the door behind her.

"Yes?" I asked them as they stood over me.

"The Keeper and I have come to an agreement of sorts that concerns you." The Shem said. I was about to open my mouth to tell them both to shove it when the Keeper gave me a furious look.

"You will listen to him Da'len, or creators help me I will silence you." She said in a low voice. I snapped my mouth shut and looked back at the Shem.

"You can feel the sickness from the bear inside of you that is called the Taint. It will eventually grow worse and it will kill you. The only cure for the Taint is within the Order of Grey Wardens, which is what I am." He started. I looked at him, I knew who the Grey Wardens were, and I just never thought that I would be meeting one in person.

I opened up my mouth, ignoring the Keeper's glare. "So that thing that I fought was a Darkspawn, correct?"

"Yes. My order is in need of aid, and you are in need of a cure. When you leave here for the cure, I have one price. You will become a Grey Warden." He said. I looked at the Keeper to see if he was serous, and the line of her frown was enough for me.

I slowly lowered my head to my hands and started muttering all the curse words that I knew in Drake. The Shem looked at the Keeper with a questionable look in his eyes. "What is she saying?" He asked.

"I don't know, she's speaking in Dragon." The Keeper said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. After a few minutes, and after repeating every curse that I knew twice over did I look at the Keeper again.

"Does Merrill know?" I asked her, she looked taken aback.

"Yes, Merrill is aware that you are leaving us." She said, I looked at her pleading in my eyes.

"Why can't you just give me the cure?" I asked him, he sighed.

"Only the Grey Wardens have the answer, and getting the cure would mean joining us, it is unlikely that you'll ever return here." The Shem said.

"I will not abandon Merrill, not now. I am sorry Grey Warden, but I would rather take my chances here." I said after a moment of silence.

"Long ago, the Dalish signed a treaty with the Grey Wardens; I will have you honor that treaty." She said, and I then shot to my feet. My anger was now apparent in my voice as in my face.

"Don't you dare act like you believe that I am one of your precious Dalish! You have shunned me my entire life! I will choose if I will go or not because it will be my choice! If I choose to die then you have no right to take that choice away from me!" I roared at her, and she flinched away from me.

"Lethallan, stop this!" yelled a tiny voice to my right. I looked hesitantly at Merrill. She had come out of the Aravel and she had tears in her eyes.

"Merrill, please don't tell me that you are going to send me away too." I said softly as I walked over to her. She threw her arms around me and hugged me close.

"I don't want you to go, but I cannot loose you like I lost Tamlen. I want you to live Lethallan, live for Tamlen and for someone who cannot loose another friend." She whispered. I felt her trembling, trying to be strong.

"When do we leave?" I asked in a defeated voice.

"Immediately." The Grey Warden said.

Merrill slowly stepped away from me and she took my hand to lead me to my Aravel. Ashalle was waiting there form me and she was trying not to cry in sorrow as she handed me my pack, bow, and then she pressed a traveling cloak into my arms. It was expensive with fur trimmings.

"You must be strong, my child, come back to us one day." She whispered into my ear and I hugged her back.

"Momma, I will." I whispered so only she could hear me. I felt her then break in front of me as she wailed. I looked at Merrill for help as Ashalle clung for me for dear life. Merrill soon walked over and separated the elf from me and then slipped something over my head. I looked down at the two rings that I had gotten for her.

"Merrill, these are your momentum for Tamlen, I can't—" I started but I was cut off from saying anything else as she looked at me.

"These are your memories of your friends. Remember us when you are saving the world from evil, and be sure to write now and again." She said, and then pushed me to where the Grey Warden was waiting for me.

I took a deep breath and walked to the Warden. He nodded to me and we set off.


	2. Chapter 2

The travel down to the ruin of Ostagar was at first very awkward. Once we left the camp, I retreated into my mind, and we traveled from the early morning to the late evening. Only when it was dark and the Shem almost slipped and fell into a giant hole did we choose to stop. We set up camp; I made a fire while he went off in search of some game. When he came back with two small rabbits I rolled my eyes and walked out of the camp with my bow to see if I could get something better. When I came back with a plump pheasant he raised his eyebrow at me.

"You are quite the Hunter…" He commented, he was very cautious with me because I had the tendency to be able to lift giant boulders without thinking twice, and the fact that I had answered his other questions with short nods and shrugs.

"I was one of the best in the Clan, I was just never accepted as such." I replied as I handed him the pheasant and sat down opposite him. I then got out my bow and started to oil the wood. Soon the smell of cooking meat filled the air.

The second day we traveled at the same pace, but this time I answered some the questions with some answers that weren't one syllables. He asked about my family and I told him a little about Tamlen, Merrill, and Ashalle. He asked about my birth parents and I told him how I didn't know who my father was, and my mother walked away after I was born.

The third day we reached the ruins of Ostagar to find that there was something that was waiting for us. I felt weaker, and weaker by the day. The pain was now slowly expanding along my core, and it was progressing to a point that I didn't even know was possible. When we finally got to the ruins I thanked the Creators that I was finally going to get the cure.

There was just one thing in our way, a man with a giant sword and he was wearing golden armor. I pulled up my hood, so that my appearance wouldn't cause a scene with his guards. I could only imagine that this person was someone very important, as he walked I could sense that he was quite young, and inexperienced in a fight. His armor was impractical and his great sword seemed like a joke.

"Ho there, Duncan!" He called, and I looked at the Grey Warden, so his name was Duncan.

"King Cailan! I didn't expect you to know of my presence so soon!" Duncan said as they shook hands.

"Some of the Wardens said that you were close, so I decided to give you a welcome." The King said as they separated. The King looked over Duncan's shoulder to see me standing a little ways off. He plastered a bright smile and walked toward me.

"And you must be his recruit that he sent word of? Might I know your…name?" He trailed off when he saw my dragon's feet, and his eyes saw the very tips of my hands. I sighed and I pulled off my hood reveling my golden horns and my long black hair. His eyes bulged out of his head as he looked at me. Then he looked to see my tail flicking near the ground and I could've sworn that he swallowed in fear.

"My name is Seiren, your majesty." I said, respectfully bowing when Duncan gave me a stern look. I guess that I was not here to make the King piss himself.

"You are Dalish, I assume since, Duncan sent word that he had a Dalish recruit?" He asked, confusion written all over his boyish face. Laughter filled with bells washed over the entire group as I laughed. I was tempted to tell him not to try to think about it too hard, lest he have a brain crash.

"Yes, I am half Dalish you majesty, and I am half something else too." I said still smiling. He looked relieved that I was not offended.

"I hear your people possess remarkable skill and honor." He said looking at me with a small grin.

"Thank you, you are very kind to say so your majesty." I said with another bow at him.

"You are very civil to a race that has been so unkind to your own." He observed and I saw Duncan stiffen as a blank look passed across my face.

"Your race so far in the last few days has shown me more kindness than my whole race has in the last eighteen years." I told him. He smiled and offered his hand; I hesitated and then took his hand in a shake. My golden scales flashed with his golden armor as we shook hands, he also didn't flinch or wipe his hand on his armor when we stopped shaking hands. Humans two, Dalish zero. I was beginning to like the fact that I had left my Clan… well I did miss Merrill.

"You uncle sends greetings, and says that Redcliff forces will be here within the week." Duncan said, and I wondered where Redcliff was.

"Ha! Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won many battles, and tomorrow should be no different." The King said as he walked back to his two honor guards.

I tuned the rest of the conversation out because I had no idea what they were talking about, and I concentrated on the voices to the forest and the Wilds that were just to the south. The wind whispered, the trees carried messages of the army to the south in the Wilds. Duncan never said that this was a Blight, but I hadn't expected him to be entirely honest with me on why Grey Wardens were in demand. I then had a buzzing in my skull, and I somehow knew that there was a Darkspawn near us. I looked at Duncan who was still talking to the King.

"Duncan?" I asked him, knowing that he knew what I was going to ask.

"Go ahead, have fun." He said as he went back to the conversation that he was having with the King.

The King looked at us with questions filling his eyes, but he kept his eyes on me as I undid the laces on my cloak and dropped my pack. I drew my bow and walked down the path, humming a tune, then I drew my bow up and I shot into the bushes. There was a yelp that rang through the air. They were vicious, but I was strong and fast. I dove into the bushes and I slashed and hacked at them with my claws. One shot passed me, intended on fleeing but I grabbed him with my tail as I gored another one with my claws. I slowly dragged him screaming back into the bushes, making sure that everyone saw that and then I twisted his head all the way around. When I emerged it was silent on the stone path. I wiped a blotch of blood from my face and smiled as I walked back to them. I felt the buzzing again but I kept on walking back to the group of astonished humans, when an Alpha ran out of the bushes roaring and swinging its battle axe in a wild arch. I ducked and brought my leg up to completely knock him off of his feet and to crush its head with just my dragon's foot. Now the silence was defining as I walked back and nodded to the humans.

"I'll take these until you get cleaned up." Duncan said, and I nodded again in my thanks.

"Well I have to go, before Loghain sends out a search party, farewell Grey Wardens." He said, his face still the picture of astonishment. I bowed to him and he walked off.

"Very well handled. I like the part where you completely changed your personality to match something that the King would feel comfortable dealing with." He said as we started to walk passed a gate that would take us to the beginning of the camp.

"I wanted to try to not be a frigid Dalish, but instead try to make some friends while I am here." I told him.

"You already have several brothers and sisters in the Wardens, and we will be returning to the compound in Denerim once the fighting is done here." Duncan said, but I could catch the note of uncertainty in his voice. I decided not to push him, I knew that you shouldn't question your commanding officer, and now that I was a Warden, that much was true.

"I was wondering when I would get the cure that I need for my body, not that I don't mind the pain that it causes me, but there is only so much pain that I can handle before I too go totally mad." I said as we walked.

"There is a ritual that all Wardens will undertake called the Joining, it is secret but it will cure you of the suffering your tainted body surely brings you. If it had been possible I would have done it before now." He told me as we stopped again. It was right before a giant stone bridge.

"Why didn't you tell me about it before?" I asked him, he looked at me with a very serous look in his eye.

"It is a secret. It is not a simple antidote. The Joining is what will make you a Grey Warden." He said simply. I sighed, and felt more faint buzzing in my head, Duncan's hand darted out and grabbed my own and he regarded me with serous eyes.

"You can sense them?" He asked me, and I nodded.

"Then your taint is getting stronger. How are your wounds that you suffered?" He asked and we both looked down at my stomach. The wounds in question were clotted black with red surrounding them. They had pulsed when I had fought the darkspawn but after that they had settled down to a dull ache. We had stopped trying to wrap them when the bandages made them bleed more often because of me moving all of the time. When we left them bare they clotted and then started to heal.

"Am I the only recruit?" I asked him as we started to cross the bridge.

"No, there are two other recruits here already. They are waiting for us in the King's Camp." Duncan said, and then I ran around him to look down on the valley. We were so high up, and with the wind blowing through my hair I felt like I was flying.

"Come, Seiren, we must get that blood off of you before you get even sicker." Duncan called to me, and I sighed and walked with him down the rest of the bridge and into the main camp.

It was bustling with people, I had been to several of the Dalish gatherings before but never had I been around this many people! There were people in heavy armor, people in light armor, people in bright clothing and also elves. There was a certain baying and the smells of a kennel washed over me, luckily I was still far from it. The path had forked and Duncan led me to the right and passed several rows of tents he held the flap open for me to go into a bathing area. I hadn't missed the logo on the front of the tent saying that this was a Grey Warden bathing area, or the slight tinge of pink that had appeared on Duncan's face as he followed me in. As soon as I walked into the tent I was assaulted by the scent of soap and the sounds of splashing and laughter. I wasn't surprised that both males and females were bathing together. With them all being sisters and brothers in arms it wasn't surprising that they would bathe together.

I smiled as I saw how at home they were, I expected them all to be serous like Duncan, but they weren't. Two rogues were dunking a female warrior under the water as she splashed them. Two well muscled woman were chatting with a mage that was an elf. Several men were also along the edges enjoying the water. All together there were about twenty people in the bathing area. Duncan cleared his throat, and everyone looked up from what they were doing.

"Brothers and Sisters—" Duncan began to be interrupted.

"And Sons and Daughters, Mothers and Fathers, Cousins and not Cousins, Men and Woman" A man interrupted in the same tone that Duncan had used many times. Duncan scowled and the man hung his head as laughter rang in the tent.

"Thank you, Anthony; this is your newest recruit sister, Seiren." He said, stepping aside so that I could bee seen. I immediately felt the urge to hide behind Duncan as all the eyes stared at me. But I squared my shoulders as several people looked at my eyes, horns, and other things. But most were staring at the ragged scratches that ran along my abdomen. My tail flicked because of the silence.

"Roar." Was how I responded, there was a moment of stunned silence, before everyone burst into gales of laughter. One of the women grabbed one of the towels from the edge of the giant pool and walked out of it, wrapping a towel around herself.

"'ey lil sis, the name's Mia. Come on; let's get ye a 'ot bath to wash 'at blighted blood off of ya." She said in a soothing voice and I was following her in no time. She helped me out of my armor and she also seemed to be sizing me up.

I almost protested when she grabbed my Dalish leathers and tossed them over to Duncan, but the look that he gave me was one that I could not argue with, so I gave him a murderous glare which he smiled to. He should laugh while he could, I was going to kill him if those came back with anything wrong with them.

"She looks about a 5, Commander!" Mia called to him; he nodded and took off out of the tent. Soon the laughter and splashing could be heard again.

"So, why is he taking my armor?" I asked her as I stripped out of my smallclothes. She grinned.

"Because he wants to get'cha something easier to move in, those things couldn't protect ya from the cold in the summer." She said, and then her eyes drifted to my Vallaslin, the black markings along my body. She traced one absentmindedly.

"You Dalish?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Half, at least." I told her, she grinned and lead me back to the bath.

"I 'new a Dalish once, tried to cut off me 'ead when I told 'er that 'er face was pretty." Mia said as she threw off her towel and dove into the water causing several people to shriek when the water produced a wave.

"Yeah, I knew on that would step on my tail on purpose, I guess what enlightened him was when I almost shot him in the head." I told her as I walked around to the stairs part of the bath. Mia submerged with a laugh, and others who had been listening chuckled too.

"Have ya' fought any darkspawn?" She asked me, eyeing my abdomen. I was wading in the water my feet liked the moisture as I slowly let the water go further and further. It had been a long time since I had taken a warm bath, not that they were offered that often for the Dalish.

"Yeah, a small group a few minutes ago, and two bears when I—" I stopped and cursed wickedly in Drake when the water hit my scratches from the bear. The whole room went silent again as I sat there, not moving with my eyes tightly shut cursing in a different language, which sounded like hissing to them.

I took another step and I felt the water hit higher up with the wounds, and I hissed again. It only settled down when the water covered up the scratches.

"As I was saying, I fought two bear like ones, in my forest near the Clan." I told them, Mia seemed pretty impressed.

"All by yourself?" She asked, clearly very impressed.

"No, I had Duncan for that one, I killed one, shot another in the eye, then when I killed that one the other one got pretty pissed and went for me. I guess that's how I got tainted, and how I got these lovely scratches." I told them.

"so, you gonna be in the Joining? I know that Duncan sent word ahead and Alistair went out with the other two to get what they needed." Mia asked, and I nodded.

"Wait, what?" I asked, and then I shot out of the bath to be tugged back by two other people that were around me.

"Calm down misses, ya' have no armor, and ya' are wounded. The best thing you would be is a burden, and the worst thing ya' would be is dead. So ya' sit ya' butt back down and soak in this lov'ly bath until our lov'ly commander comes back." Mia said firmly, and I found myself sitting down.

I noticed a bit of color on her arm and I found myself gently grasping her arm to look at it. It was the silver and blue symbol of the wardens. A griffin. I traced it fascinated that she would have it, but then again she was a Warden, so that would be natural.

"Like it, little miss?" She asked me with a grin, and I blushed and let go of her arm.

"I am sorry if I offended you! I know that some don't like my touch, I was just so intrigued!" I hurriedly explained. She laughed, then she took my clawed hand in her own. I felt another blush rise in my face as she put my hand straight between her breasts. I felt her warm flesh and the vibrations of her heart beating in her chest.

"Feel 'at, lil' miss?" She whispered in my ear, I nodded, "It's the beating of wings. We are griffins, the defenders of evil, we defend those who are sickened by out touch, but we love the touch of our family." She said, and I felt her hand on my chest to feel my beating heart.

"All of our wings beat as one, and out hearts are wild. We don't like it when out sister is shunned, we want you to be yourself, and not this militated thing that you think yourself to be." She said. I felt myself smiling at her.

"Thank you." I told her. she nodded.

"No, problem little miss. Now the next time some stupid bastard calls you something other than Warden, tell me and I'll hold 'im down so that you can beat 'is ass." She said, and then she suddenly grinned evilly at me. Uh-oh.

I then found myself underwater with four people trying to dunk me. The splashing and laughing soon returned and I found myself glad that I had found my family.

Duncan returned to the tent with my new armor to find four male Wardens trying to pin me down, they had found that their newest sister was ticklish and they wanted to see how long it would take me to scream uncle. The King had been right behind him and had laughed heartily as I squealed and squirmed away from the offending people. He clapped Duncan on the shoulder and walked out of the tent, and Duncan had pinched the bridge of his nose before whistling loudly. He flicked his head, and there were grumbles as the Wardens climbed out of the bath. They all took the towels and walked over to the changing places to slip on their small clothes and armor. Duncan had a pile of blue and silver in his hands, and on top were my Dalish Leathers that were fully repaired.

I got out of the bath and pulled on my small clothes, my tail was flicking back and forth with excitement as my claws clicked against the hard ground as I walked to him. He handed me my leathers and I put them on.

"I will give you with when you complete the Joining. I'll show you to the tent where you can get some sleep before the Joining. It will be a small amount of time before they will be back, but use this time to think or meditate." He said, I nodded as I followed him out of the bathing tent and into one of the other tents nearby. Inside were two cots, a trunk at the end of each cot, and an armor stand beside each cot. One of the Cots had an extra change of chainmail armor, and a shield strapped to it. There was also a wedge of cheese that was on the trunk of the other cot.

My own cot had my cloak hanging at the end and my pack on the pillow. I smiled at it and Duncan handed me my new Warden armor. I nodded my thanks again, and he walked out of the tent to give me time to think. I put my Warden armor onto the armor stand and took off my leathers and put those into the trunk. Then I walked in my smallclothes to my cot and grabbed out a pair of shorts and a sleeveless tunic that I tucked into the waistband of my shorts. I put on the necklace that held the rings and I tucked that into my shirt, glad to feel that they were still warm from the bathwater. With all of that in order I grabbed my bow and hurried out of the tent to find someplace for target practice.

As I walked out of the Warden Camp I ran into three people just coming in from the Wilds. All three of them were covered in blood, the lead one was walking with a sort of limp in his step, and I could smell that he was a Warden, despite the darkspawn blood that covered him head to toe. His two companions seemed to be worse for wear, their faces pale and battered under the blood, one smelled heavily of fear, and the other seemed to be just plain annoyed.

I nodded to them when they stopped to stare at me, and I walked over to where the Wardens were practicing. I noticed the one that I had identified as a Warden started at me long after I had vanished from his sight. I wondered why? Then I remembered, the others were already used to seeing me, and with the King's blessing no one would dare do anything to me while I was in camp because they had already seen me already. Those people must have not been there when I had just came into the camp.

I walked into the Warden Camp to find most of the Wardens now working on normal training. They sill were laughing, but there was an air of seriousness to them all. I scanned the working Wardens to look for Mia, and I found her very easily. She was taking on two Wardens with shields. Her weapon of choice seemed to be a very long double sided spear. She waved at me happily as she took them on, looking like she wasn't breaking a sweat. They however were trying to take her on when she was distracted, and were losing that fight. I looked around more and I found Duncan with the King sitting at a table pooling over a map with another man with silver armor. I tilted my head, he seemed to be familiar to me, but I had never met a Shem like him. I let it go and walked over to Mia who had kicked both of the men on their asses.

As I walked I could feel the gaze of the man in the silver armor bearing into my back. I shrugged it off as being astonished that an abomination like me wasn't put to death at birth, and I walked into a giant bear hug from Mia.

"Hey, little misses, good to see ya' with clothin' on." She said, I smiled and blushed lightly.

"Good to see you too, Mia." I told her with a grin. She smacked me on the rump and looked at my own weapon of choice.

"A bow? Hun, a bow is for pansies!" She declared loudly, the archers turned and started to yell at her.

"Shut up, you know that I'm right!" She roared at them, and they turned around and grumbled loudly.

"What else are ya weildin'?" she asked me. I didn't know what to say.

"I know hand to hand combat?" I offered to her, and she laughed.

"Hun, that aint gonna help ya' with the thousands of darkspawn that are gonna surround and boot your pretty little ass tomorrow." She declared at me, and I felt my face grow hot with the thought of me getting the boot from a darkspawn.

"I'll show you!" I declared loudly, she looked at me with surprise clear in her eyes.

"You pick any weapon you want, and I'll show you that I can beat if with just my bare claws!" I said to her. She smiled and held out her hand.

"Challenge accepted." She said, and I shook her hand.

Many Wardens and other solders were gathered in the compound, news of the little challenge had spread across the war camp like a wild fire. Since the Wardens didn't have a big enough compound for the vast amount of solders that wanted to watch, they moved it into the valley with different risers for the oncoming battle. I never in my wildest dreams thought that this would turn out like this. It was just a friendly challenge for Creators sake! I had Duncan go back to the tent for my Dalish Leathers and I kept on my shorts because of my different flipping could cause my skirt to go every which way.

When I was ready, Mia came out in full plate armor, and I almost laughed. I had told her not to do that because I could risk cutting threw the armor, and that it would slow her down. She had ignored me and had done it anyway. I sighed and then cleared my head of my nervousness, I knew that if I wanted to I could end this fight in seconds, but I didn't want to embarrass my friend like that. So I closed my eyes and tried to go into that happy place and to not be nervous about hurting my friend, and more about how I was going to win.

Duncan had agreed to stand next to me until the fight was going to start, because he would have to go and be with the King for entertainment. I already told Duncan that I didn't like the way that the King treated them like they were The Gods or something, but Duncan just shook his head and let her rant. The mages had arrived to make sure that if they went overboard they would be in the fight moments to heal the injured party. Almost time now. I reached into my armor and brought out the thing leather string that held the two rings around my neck, and I handed them to Duncan. He looked at me surprised, but he took them without comment. He disappeared soon after, and I looked toward Mia, whose face was swallowed up by a helmet. I felt my throat work as I swallowed and shuffled my feet.

"Are both Wardens ready?" Called the voice of the King.

"Yes." I said, hearing Mia echoing my own answer.

"Begin!" He yelled.

Mia jumped into action; she gave a great battle cry as she charged me. I had to admit, that was pretty damn scary, but I had different plans. I was going to show people that you didn't mess with the dragon, even if she was half elf. Both her axes swung toward me, and I made no move to dodge, and as they swung toward me I caught them both by the blades, stopping them, and a giant gong sound that echoed threw the canyon. A collective gasp and murmurs rose from the bystanders as they watched at Mia struggled to free her axes from my grip. Her strength was like the elf from the Dalish, a mouse struggling in a dragon trap.

I was now on offence, whipping my tail up to her gauntlets and making the vibrations shock her enough to shatter her grip on her axes, I took them both and tossed them aside. I then jumped with all of my speed and I moved to flip over her but I put moth of my hands on her shoulders and I punctured her armor with my claws. I wrenched both her shoulders out of their sockets with a flick of my wrists and then I kicked her back making her fall, face first into the dirt. The whole thing had taken less than a few moments.

There was a collective silence before I looked up into the stunned faces of the crowd.

A mage cast a healing spell on both of us, but I wasn't the one that had needed it, there were few things that could penetrate the armor of a dragon. I slowly stood up from my kneeling position as she got up from the ground. Then there was pain. It was the Taint that came back to haunt me, it hadn't been too much of a problem in the bath, but now that I was in combat with blood pumping it seemed to feed on my own fighting spirit. I shuttered and looked back at Mia; her face seemed to drain of all color before my eyes.

"Holy shit, look at ya' eyes little miss." She whispered, I ran over to her armor and looked into the now completely white eyes of myself. I spat a curse in Drake as I leapt away from the polished surface. Mia slowly got to her feet and took one of her axes.

"Mia, the Taint, knock me out." I hissed at her in barley a whisper. She grinned.

"Round 2!" She yelled and then hit me with a giant force to the side of my head with the flat part of her axe. I hit the ground and was out like a ton of bricks.

I woke up to blurry people leaning over me. Mia's face swam up into focus as she smiled at me.

"Hey, lil' miss. How ya' feel'in?" She asked with a smile.

"I don't know, is seeing three of you normal?" I asked her, her face showed confusion.

"Seiren, Common, your in elvish." Duncan's voice swam into my brain.

"Fuck you commander." I spat, and everyone laughed. Guess that was in Common, stupid bastard.

"Not nice, though I like the fact that you addressed me with respect. The Joining is going to start soon, I will meet you and Alistair at the abandoned church." He said and I felt him leave the tent.

"Got ta go, lil' miss. See ya' la'er" Mia said as she walked out of the tent. I couldn't help but to see the look of sadness in her face. I wondered what her problem was, I hoped that I hadn't embarrassed her too much, or was she worried that she had hit my skull too hard, because I forgave her for that already.

There was a clearing of a throat and I glared over at the man that now occupied the cot next to mine. He had sandy blond hair and a grin that rivaled that of the King's. I then smelled him, and looked at him, he was almost the exact same as the King, they could've been brothers! He saw me staring and posed on the bed.

"Like the view?" He asked, and I growled at him.

"Please tell me that you aren't Alistair." I said to him. His grin widened, and I knew that I was going to officially kill Duncan.

"That's me! So tell me what you had to do to get out of going out into the Wilds with us, did you fight an entire army of darkspawn, or did you bat you pretty little eyelashes and say 'pretty please?'" He said with a very girly voice.

"I got fucked sideways by two bear darkspawn while I was looking for my friend's mate who happened to be my best friend too. Duncan came along with me." I told him, slowly getting up not enjoying the ringing in my ears, or the new wave of pain from the Taint inside me.

"So that's where those sexy scares came from." He said in a saucy voice, and I looked at him with the urge to wring his neck.

"Shut the hell up, or I will tear out your throat and feed it to you." I growled at him, and his face paled when he realized that I was completely serous. I didn't like to be flirted with, it irritated me beyond belief. A small amount I could take, but not this obviously virgin Shem I could not take. I had not room to talk, I was a virgin too, but I wasn't a bumbling idiot or a blushing maiden.

I moved the covers, and saw his face turn a shade of red. I looked at him, what now? I looked down to realize that I was only wearing my smallclothes and the rings that I had trusted Duncan with. I touched them thinking about Merrill. I knew that they would've already moved camp already, but I hoped that she was doing alright. I looked up to that he had turned away from me and I realized that he was trying to give me a little privacy. I sighed and walked over to put on my Dalish Leathers. When I was done I looked to see him getting into his chainmail. He was having trouble with the buckles in the back and I sighed and walked over to help him. he flinched, but didn't argue with the extra help.

"I am sorry, I do not usually loose my temper so easily, but I have had a few eye opener days. That with all of this staring, making friends, and taking axes to the head is making me get out of my element" I told him, he nodded, his neck was still red.

"Don't worry about it, I get it all the time, I'm just a little tad bit nervous because I saw you punch threw silverite today like it was tin. And you stopped two twin axes from a berserker with your bare hands." He said. I smiled.

"I told her not to use armor for that reason, I'm just glad that the King could spare a suit of armor for out little tussle." I said finishing one side to start on the other.

"I see that your claws aren't ripping through my armor buckles." He said.

"I know how to use my claws to be gentle, or to puncture threw hard surfaces. My scales can be as soft as velvet or as hard as dragon bone. It is part of how I trained myself." I told him then I fastened the last buckle. He shifted his shoulders and grabbed his sword and shield. I flipped over my cot and grabbed my bow and we walked out of the tent. We walked passed the different tents, the Camp seemed quiet, with both the Joining for the Wardens, and the battle that was going to take place tomorrow.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" He asked me, we hadn't talked since the tent.

"Sure." I said, still walking behind me.

"Are you scared to do the Joining?" He asked me, I looked at him, then I thought about it.

"In a way, it the same as 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.'" I told him, he looked back at me in shock.

"W-w-what?" He spluttered at me. I smiled.

"Alistair, I am tainted. If I would've stayed with my Clan like I wanted to I would be dead, if I go through this Joining and somehow it kills me, then I would've been dead anyway. I am not afraid in what I had already accepted." I told him. He looked like I had just started to break down to do the Remigold.

"I'm sorry if what I just said offended you…" I trailed off not knowing what else to say.

"Let me just get this straight…" He said, giving me a questioning look. I nodded, letting him speak.

"You went looking for your best friend's fiancé, wound up getting Duncan involved, and after some happy dancy time you encountered two darkspawn bears who thoroughly taint you." He trailed off thinking of what to say next.

"Yes, what else do I need to know about myself?" I asked him, he continued.

"Then when Duncan offered you the cure, you basically told him that you would rather die, but your friend convinced you to be a Grey Warden and live, and you don't want to?" He asked.

"Alistair, I would have rather die with my one true alive friend, than spend the rest of my days fighting with people who shun and stare at me every day." I told him, he just shook his head.

"You know that Duncan could've forced you to go, so you would not have a choice." He said, I looked at him.

"Bitch could've tried," I stated firmly. Alistair laughed.

"I mean it, the Right of Conscription, it makes any of the races that have signed a treaty with the Wardens honor bound to let anyone be conscripted, even against their will. Dalish have a treaty with the Wardens." He said, but when he looked at my face his own serous expression went lax from the mirth on my face.

"But, Warden Alistair, I am only _half_ Dalish, so I would've gone about half way to Ostagar then I would've turned around and walked away." I told him.

"Yeah, and you would be dead." He stated.

"I would've gotten what I wanted and Duncan would've gotten what he wanted." I said as we came to a set of stairs.

"Do you still want it… Death I mean?" He asked me, I sighed.

"You have a lot of things to learn about dragons, Warden. I am too observant when it comes to getting myself into trouble. I could've died in the Clan like how I wanted to, all I needed to do was kill the Keeper. The hunters would've put five arrows in my skull and left be to rot without a second thought. If I still wanted death, then I would go after the King, then I would have the fun of being publicly hanged. I don't want it anymore, I just want peace." I said as I walked the final steps to the Joining.

He sighed, and I almost didn't catch the words that he spoke.

"You are either going to have that, or be a Warden."


	3. Chapter 3

"Since the first, these words have been spoken at the ceremony: Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you." Alistair spoke in a haunting voice. I felt a shiver go up my spine as I looked at the silver cup shinning in Duncan's hands.

The Shem thief stepped forward, and Duncan put the cup in his hands. The Shem took a long drink from the dark liquid, and he shook his head, as if swallowing the fowl stuff was too much for him. It seemed like he was going to make it, but then he started to moan and then he fell to the floor clutching his neck and soon chocked on his own blood that was coming from his nose and eyes. I felt myself begin to understand Alistair's argument earlier. I was going to die, I saw the truth in those words. I then saw the Shem knight draw his sword, and I knew that he had chosen death over what he was supposed to do in his duty.

I clamped my clawed hands over my ears and to drown out the sounds of death, I decided to do something that I had never done. I would sing. I opened my mouth to sing the elvish words that Ashalle used to sing to me. In hopes that I could drown out the sound of his own death. It came off of my lips, my normally raspy voice turned into a gale of beautiful music.

When I had finished holding out the note as long as I can. I opened my eyes to see Alistair and Duncan looking at me with such shock that I was tempted to make a joke about how they looked like gaping fish.

Duncan recovered first, and he stepped forward, one hand held the silver cup, the other held the bloodied knife.

"You were called upon to submit yourself to the taint. Choose Seiren Mahariel." He told me, I grab the cup and I looked at him dead in the eye.

"Duncan, Commander of the Grey Wardens, I want you to promise me that if I do not make it through this Joining that you will bring the rings back to Merrill, and you will tell her that I had jumped off a cliff." I told him.

"Jumped off a cliff? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alistair asked me. I glared at him and he seemed to get the idea to shut up.

"Just… tell her something that makes me die a coward." I told him softly. Duncan gripped my shoulder in his hands.

"Why a coward?" Alistair asked.

"Because I would rather her think that I died a coward than for her to suffer because I died in pain." I told him, then I brought the cup to my lips and drank.

The blood was thick, clotted, and tasted surprisingly like wine. But when it went down my throat it seemed to be a slow moving river of lava. Never in my life had I ever felt this much fire, and it seemed to expand from my throat to my core, joining the other Taint that was already there. Then it branched out, slowly engulfing my arms and legs in its fire. I felt myself shutter and then loose my footing as I lost sense of where my legs were. I was barley aware of the strong arms that caught me and pulled me close to a chest that was female. I smelled her scent and I knew that I was not alone in this, Mia was with me.

I knew that I was dreaming. The blurry walls of stone, and army of darkspawn was what gave it away for me. Oh, and the BIG FUCKING DRAGON also might have had a thing to do with it. It hissed at me, not in Drake, but in a different more ancient language. It roared and tried to whisper things into my ear but I wouldn't listen, I cried out and covered my ears as it somehow was able to speak into my mind. Its crushing voice was something that made me feel insignificant.

_Little one, you are going to die. I will send my army to feast on your hide. And when there done with you I will move onto your falon _(Mia flashed in my mind) _and your __Lethallan also _(Sweet little Merrill flashed before my eyes also)_. I will make them feel pain like never before, and then when they beg for death I will give them to my little warriors to do with what they will. _

I felt panic sweep me away and when I tried to run, I found my two friends strapped to poles, bloodied as darkspawn fed them the flesh of the fallen at their feet. I felt rage fill me, and I tried to go to them to free and help them, but he blocked me.

_No…_

I tried to move away from him and he blocked me again. I twisted and turned around him to try to get away from him, I tried every move that I had to try to cripple him or to try to at least get around him, but I had no such luck because they had no effect on him. I was then pinned to the ground by one of his massive claws and he lifted me up to look at my friends.

_No…_

Two more bodies were added to the pile that the darkspawn were stripping away to feed my friends. I saw with a lurch that they were Duncan and the Keeper. I saw the darkspawn eagerly begin to strip away their flesh as they fed the dead leaders to their subordinates. My friends were starting to bloat, and turn a darker shade and I could smell the taint on them. Their eyes turned glassy as the darkspawn shoved mouthful after mouthful of their leaders into they awaiting mouths.

_No!_

He seemed to laugh at my feeble struggles to get away from him, and to rescue my friends. The last thing that I remember was Tamlen, but then he morphed into a darkspawn. He walked slowly to where my two friends were being held and he drew his sword back and with a sickening sound he drove it into Mia's ribcage. I felt a cry fly from my lips as I watched helpless as the life drained slowly from her. She gave me a look that would be frozen in my mind for the rest of my days. Her glassy eyes held horror and surrender. He then moved to Merrill, and I struggled harder when I saw him cut the bottom part of her robes off, then he did something that I never thought he would ever do, he began to rape her. The last thing I saw was the Archdemon's eyes, and his hideous laughter that rang in my ears.

"Lethallan!" I shrieked at I was plunged from the dream. I woke to a dark tent, and estimated that I had only been out for a few hours. I sat there, panting as I tried to slow down my heartbeat. My body felt sticky, and I realized that I had also been twisted in the sheets of the cot that I was on.

My eyes adjusted enough so that I could see that I was back in the tent that I had been assigned. I turned my head to see that Alistair was no where in sight, and I breathed a sigh of relief that no one had seen me at this point of weakness. I still felt shaken as I unwrapped myself from the sheets, and I slowly willed my eyes to adjust to the dark soon I could see the whole interior of the tent with no trouble. I walked over to the armor stand and fingered the cloth that would make up the new armor that I would be wearing.

Duncan must have spent more than a few silvers on this piece of magnificent armor. I pulled it down and slowly piece by piece I began to dress, pulling the half sleeved one piece half pants on. It was interesting to slip into these, and to find that Duncan had a hole made for my tail. The chest plate was silver and it had the imprint of a griffon on it, and I smiled. I was now a Grey Warden, it filled me with sadness and with another promise, a promise of a future. I shrugged off the feeling, I was alive and that was all that mattered. I grabbed the metal things that were supposed to go onto my arm, and I smiled. Duncan had them made so that they covered my whole arm, but leaving my hands free to scratch and claw. The legs were similar, but also very flexible leaving my whole foot bare so that I could kick. With a couple of shoulder guards and a mail skirt I was set and armed for battle. I slung my bow to my back and I was out of the ten in moments.

The armor didn't chafe or any make any annoying noises as I silently moved in it. A small ways into the Grey Warden Camp, I was surprised at how deserted it was. Only when someone called out my name did I turn around. At least I could find Duncan and Alistair when I needed to.

"How do you feel?" Duncan asked me, and I shrugged at him trying to not sow the fear or horror that I had felt just a few moments ago.

"Its over. I'm fine." I told him

"Did you have dreams? I had terrible dreams when I first joined." Alistair said.

"Such dreams come and go, and can be explained in the months to come. It is one of the prices to pay when becoming a Grey Warden." Duncan said with a warning look at Alistair. Alistair cleared his throat uncomfortably before talking again.

"Before I forget, there is a ritual that we all do. We take some of the blood and we put it in an amulet… to remind us of who we lost." He said.

He handed me a silver amulet and I took it and strung it around my neck. I then felt cold, I felt my neck for the rings. They were gone. I felt my blood turn to ice, and I frantically searched in my mind to where I had last seen them. I must have turned away from them because in the next moment I heard a _tink _of metal against metal. I looked down in crashing relief as I saw both of the rings back around my neck. I then noticed my hand, it was completely black. The scales that had been golden now were black.

"Duncan, why have my scales turned from golden to… Black?" I asked him.

"Animals turn black from the taint; the Archdemon is also the same, so I figured that this is your animal's side to reacting to the taint." It made sense in a sort of twisted way, at least my fingers weren't falling off or something to that extent.

"Thank you, Duncan." I told him, he nodded.

"Take you time to recover, but I'd like you to accompany me to a meeting with the king." He said, and I felt confusion.

"What kind of meeting?" I asked.

"It is a strategy meeting, he wanted to have you there because you caught his eye when you fought against Mia. She is a terror on the battlefield, and I've personally seen her out strength many men in my time. He is intrigued that you had stopped her without breaking a sweat." He told me.

"That, and 'ow you 'anaged to do all 'at, but 'en get 'ur ass beat in one 'it." I turned with a smile on my face to see Mia standing coming out of a tent.

"Falon!" I squealed as I ran into her now outstretched arms. She laughed at me as I buried my face in her new Grey Warden armor. I was almost seven inches past five feet, but Mia seemed to be a head taller than me.

"Falon? Is 'at me name now lil' misses?" She asked with a smile.

"Yep! You are now named Falon!" I said, now giddy with happiness.

"Sir, me an' some of 'ee others were wondin' if it 'ould be alright if to go an' play 'ome cards with 'em soliders… be'ore 'ee battle." Mia asked looking at Duncan. I could swear that her accent was getting thicker the more I hung out with her, then I realized that she had tried to cover it up with me because I might have been somewhat offended by it. As if! I hated Shems and their little tendencies to judge and hate people by the way that they talk and think.

"You may Mia, if I hear none of it, during the battle, and after the battle." Duncan said. I wondered what he was talking about but I didn't find out because she gripped me in a bear hug and when dropping me she grabbed the unsuspecting Alistair and dragged him toward the regular encampment much to his spluttering protests.

"Have fun!" I called out to them only to zoom in and see Alistair mouth 'help me!' before the view was obscured by trees and tents.

I turned to Duncan and he nodded in my direction before turning and walking the other way, I fell in behind him as we walked to the other side of the Warden camp, toward the Kings tents. As we approached I could feel the eyes that were on me from the invisible guards that were either in the trees or they were blending in with the shadows.

"Seiren, do you want to talk about your dream?" He said suddenly. I was so taken aback I would've bet four sovereigns that my mouth was open.

"How do you know if I even had a dream?" I asked him darkly, not liking the images that swam before my eyes of Falon and Lethallan. _Thanks a lot commander, I really needed to think about it again._

"Because you were paler than a sheet when we first saw you, and when we were carrying you were thrashing around and moaning things in both elven and dragon. I thought that I had come to the conclusion of you were having a nightmare. But I guess if you don't want to talk, I won't make you." He said as they continued walking.

"Good, because what happened in the dream was personal." I growled at him, trying to get the images of her friends being abused like that out of her mind. It didn't work out like how I wanted to.

"Can I ask you one thing?" He asked when they had gone a small amount further down the path, I shrugged and answered, "I won't guarantee an answer, but you may ask Commander."

"Did you understand the Archdemon?" He asked, looking at me with intense eyes. I looked away.

"Yes. But that is all I am going to say on the matter." I told him. I was lucky because he chose not to push the matter. It had bothered me that I had heard the Archdemon speak, it seemed the more I pondered on it, the less the dream felt like a dream and more like a vision.

There were torches lined around the pillars that surrounded a table that had every map possible on the Wilds and Ostagar. There were already four other people at the table, one was the king and the other was the man in silver armor that I had seen earlier that day. The man in the silver armor was arguing with the king.

"Loghain I will tell you one more time, the dissension is final! I will stand by the Wardens in this assault!" the King said in a stern voice. He nodded at the two newcomers that had entered the table, and I nodded back to him.

"You risk too much! You cannot play hero on the front lines, its too dangerous!" The man in the silver armor growled, I guess that was Loghain.

"If that the case, maybe we should wait for the Orlesian Forces to arrive," The King shot back.

"I must repeat my protests to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves." Loghain snarled.

"It is not a fool notion, our arguments are a thing of the past, and you will remember who is king!"

I tuned out their conversations again. I didn't wish to hear them arguing about things that did not matter to me or that didn't matter to the battle ahead. I leaned against one of the pillars that were near Duncan.

Their arguing reminded me of two little Da'len completely engrossed in their argument, and they were so sure of their own arguing that they couldn't see that there were others that were waiting for them to finish with their own petty squabbling. I looked at Duncan who gave me an exasperated look, apparently this was a common thing that happened in these meetings, I wondered if they ever got anything done. I lifted an eyebrow and gestured to the two men in heavy armor that were still arguing over whatever they were arguing about. He nodded. I shifted and sighed while the two finally seemed to stop.

"This is the recruit that I met earlier on the road? I believe that I should give you congratulations Seiren." The King said and I looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, your majesty." I said bowing respectfully.

"So you are the one that had the fight with the Warden Berserker. Weren't you gold then?" He sneered that last part at me. I looked at him in the eye, my gaze held none of the fury that I had felt at that statement, but he was the one that looked away first.

"I was, Sir." I told him, and he seemed to be wanting a reaction from me, I would not give him that time of day.

"Interesting." He said but then said nothing else. The king then made praise to the Wardens by saying something to Duncan, but I had my eyes on Loghain.

He snorted rudely and turned back to the king to make some more jabs. I had the distinct feeling that he didn't like any of the people standing around that table. I would bet that he had not had a very happy life, and what resulted in that unhappy person that was standing in front of me now. I didn't trust unstable people, such as this Loghain. He would turn on someone as soon as they let their guard down, and I felt that he was going to do this to the Wardens as soon as he got the chance.

As I listened to their plan of attack, I almost laughed at the sheer simplicity of it. Split the army in two, have one charge the darkspawn and when a signal came the other half would charge and flank the darkspawn. But then came the decision to light the signal fire.

"Then we should send our best; send Alistair and Seiren to get it done." He said looking at me directly in the eye.

"Of course—" Duncan began but I walked out of the shadows and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, this is not a good idea." I told them.

"Please elaborate, because I am sure a little girl like you has more battle experience than any of us inexperienced children." Loghain said rolling his eyes.

"I'm glad you think so," I shot back, then walked into the light and pulled a map out.

"I have an idea that would benefit all. Send Alistair to light the signal, but send me and another Warden to help lead the charge with Sir Loghain when he chooses to flank the darkspawn. With Wardens there we will be able to sense if the darkspawn choose to split into two armies so no one will find themselves ambushed before the plan has been put into action." I finished and stepped back to look at the faces of the 'inexperienced children'.

Duncan kept his face neutral but I could see that glimmer of pride in his eyes, the king seemed to like this plan, and the other two were too busy shooting glares at each other to listen to the plan. The only one that seemed to have a problem with it was Loghain himself, but after the king gave his 'I'm a king so you have to do whatever I say' look I knew that this was the plan that we were going to use. I was just hoping that I could fight beside the one person that I wanted to, Mia.

I walked from the hill down to where the King was having his when I saw an old woman struggling to move something was obviously too large for her older body to handle. Several able bodied men passed by the old woman but the only thing that they gave her were looks of mistrust and hate. My instincts kicked in, I remembered when I had to help the Elders and how I would ignore how they would glare at me when I did, but I did it anyway. It was some sort of weakness of mine to help those in need.

Slowly walking silently over to her, I put a hand on her shoulder so that I wouldn't startle her. She jumped anyway but after she got over the claws, and horns she looked at my armor and noticed that I was a Grey Warden. She got out of her crouched position and I bent to pick up a surprisingly light chest, well light for me meant that it would probably take three of her to carry by herself.

"Where do you need this, Grandmother?" I asked her, she pointed to a tent a little ways off, and I walked with the chest over to the tent with her at me heels. I set it down where she wanted it and turned to her.

"Greeting, young lady. You were Duncan's recruit, I guess that I owe you two blessings today." She said, her voice was soft, and full of wisdom like Ashalle.

"There is no need, Grandmother, for I should be thanking you for your greetings." I told her, her old face seemed so kind and gentle, I wondered what she had done to make the others angry at her.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I m Wynne, one of the mages summoned by the King." She said extending her hand. I gave her a blank look at the apprehension in her gaze, it was like she was expecting me to kick her or something.

"Pleased to meet you, I am Seiren." I told her taking her hand softly in mine, surprised to find it almost ice cold to the touch. I was sure to not accidently scratch her with my claws, it sometimes happened when I shook someone's hand that wasn't protected my some sort of armor.

"Well met, and good luck to you on the battlefield. To us all, in fact." She said. I suppressed a small snort reminding myself that this is an elder, and I must be respectful to them.

"It's not luck, but the skills that we have picked up along the way that will save us." I told her with a sly smile on my face.

"I'm sure that you have plenty of that to offer, especially to berserkers." She said with a smile. We both shared a small laugh.

"Tell me, how much do you know of the connection between darkspawn and the Fade?" She asked, I opened my mouth to answer, but there was a scuffle and I turned to see two warriors play fighting with Mia. She seemed to like them trying to bring her to the ground, and I could see and smell the alcohol that wafted from her. She was drunk, and I also had a feeling that soon she might lapse into a full fighting mode and kick the shit out of the two solders.

"Forgive me, Wynne, but I must go and take care of this." I told her, she waved me off and I ran to go and help the warriors handle Mia.

"Falon! What happened?" I asked her, just to see her roll her eyes in the back of her head and for her to pass out completely limp in my arms. I growled in annoyance as I carried her back to the camp, she needed to gain a little more weight because she weighed less than the chest, or so it seemed.

I told the two warriors that I had it under control so they went back to their own camp. They gave me smiles instead of stares and I managed to get two names from them. Hawke was a warrior with a giant sword on her back, and Carver was a sword wielder also. Carver seemed to care about his sister, but he also was trying to find his own calling also. I thanked them both and they had silently walked back to their own camp.

Now I was standing in the middle of the Grey Warden Camp trying to scent my way back to Mia's tent. But it was hard because the scent of her drunkenness seemed to overpower my other senses with a harsh burning scent. I had to eventually stop and put her down and walk around the camp to try to find her tent without having to have to sort through the ale smell.

I was surprised that it was right next to Duncan's but I didn't think of anything of it. I walked back to carry Mia back to her own tent. Once there I stripped her of her own armor and quickly tucked her into her cot. I hung up her armor on her stand then left her to sleep.

As I exited her tent I walked back to my own. Not in the hopes to getting a good nights sleep, but in hopes in getting my oil for my bow. If we were going to battle tomorrow and I wanted it to be in top condition for what was to come. I wasn't going to be with the other archers, but I was going to be around a lot of trees, if I needed to I could climb one when I got tired and snipe the darkspawn that surrounded the trees, or if they surrounded part of the army.

As I got my oil I walked to where there was a campfire that was not occupied and I settled down on a log and pulled my bow from my back. It had been a gift from Ashalle had said that it was my mother's and I had learned to shoot with it my whole life. It was a short bow, but I could never exchange it for anything else in the world. I had carved details into it, halla and other things that I had seen. For the last two days I had carved a detailed imprint of the darkspawn bear into it, it seemed fitting since the bow had helped me defeat the two creatures.

I polished the bow, and well oiled the string so that it would be flexible for tomorrow and then I polished it again just for something to do. As I re oiled the cloth I felt someone enter the fire and sit on the log beside me, I looked up to see General Loghain sitting next to me. His face had lost its harsh looking scowl and he now had just a tired look on his older face.

"Cant sleep either?" He asked harshly. I looked down at my bow and continued to polish it while I answered his question.

"No, sir." I said.

"Bad dreams?" He asked, I nodded.

"I see…" he trailed off. He looked from me to stare into the flames.

"Are you worried about the oncoming battle, sir?" I asked him. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"One such as you would not understand." He said shortly.

"You know nothing about me, sir, so do not assume that my experience with war is not equal to yours." I told him. "I worry that we won't come out of this unscathed, and this might be where my story ends." I said in a low voice. He looked at me, and I gave him a sort of half smile.

"I am not afraid to die; I just don't want to leave these people behind with no hope." I said. He looked into my eyes, and I saw some sort of dark emotion cross his features before it was covered up again.

"Do you wish for death?" He asked softly.

"I used to curse the Creatures for this body that they bestowed upon me, and I would be reckless with it. But now I don't want to die, I just want to live the fullest life that I can, sir." I said truthfully.

"You tell me honestly and without holding anything back. You would fit in with the army life." He said.

"I don't think that I can join now that I am a Warden. Right now I just need to know where this puts me as a person. It also makes me question what I will need to do after this mess is resolved, sir." I told him.

"You were very rude to your King, is it not the custom of humans to respect those with power?"

"I never did catch you name, Warden." He said. I stiffened and then smiled back at him offering him one of my hands. He took off one of his gauntlets and took my hand. His had was rough with age and closes, but warm.

"Seiren. But you may call me whatever you wish, just as long as its not some demeaning name that'll piss me off, sir."

"You just took all the fun out of it." He said with a straight face. It took me a moment that he had attempted a stab at humor. I let a playful giggle escape my lips.

"Wha's 'o funny, lil' miss?" A familiar voice said as a familiar body flopped down on the log that I was nestled on.

"Sir Loghain just told me a funny joke." I told her, she pulled me protectively toward her chest and nodded at Loghain.

"First Lieutenant Warden." He said with anger burning in his eyes.

"Prat." She snarled back. I looked between both of them, and I could basically smell the fire that was burning between the two.

"Falon, what does 'prat' mean?" I asked her, she rolled her eyes.

"Its one of those demeaning names that you don't want people calling you." Loghain said in an exhausted voice. I looked up a Mia in horror.

"Falon! You don't go around saying that about your commanding officer!" I scolded her, she just threw back her head and laughed at me.

"Don't 'ou go aroun' scol'din me ab'out callin me commanding off'cer a prat, bec'ase 'ou 'aid 'fuck 'ou' to 'urs"

"Who did she say that to?" Loghain asked now with a smile.

"Falon, you tell him and I will—" I didn't get to finish because Mia went ahead and told him anyway.

"Duncan." She said, and then Loghain roared with laughter this time.

"Wasn't the first or last time I'll say it to him either." I muttered, letting the adults have their laugh. Loghain just seemed to laugh harder at that statement, and Mia joined him.

There was wind, rain, and smoke. This was going really well, especially since I was now soaked and pissed off. Well, somewhat pissed off, Mia was right next to me for us to lead the charge with Loghain's men. I was very happy that I could fight next to her, she seemed to be vibrating with anticipation for the upcoming battle. Loghain was standing right next to Mia, and I was on Mia's other side. Loghain seemed more tense than at ease, because of what I didn't know. Behind us around the hill that we were on was Loghain's men, and a few yards from us was a stone faced woman who I didn't know, but identified herself stiffly to me as Ser Cauthrien.

"That one, lil' miss." Mia said as she pointed to an ogre several leagues from their position.

"Yes, falon." I told her as I unsheathed my bow and I pulled back the string.

Loghain looked as an arrow magically appeared in my string and I looked at the ogre, my vision zoomed onto him and I aimed for his eye. As I let loose the arrow I fitted another and let it loose. The ogre toppled over and twitched once or twice as it died from two arrows to the brain.

"I was wondering why you didn't carry arrows." He commented as I sheathed the bow again.

"I have to use for them, I don't know how I summon them, but they come every time." I told him as I watched the battle. This was no tiny force, it seemed like the whole horde was here, and if that was true I hoped that the Shems were ready for this fight.

"Can you see into the battle, Ren?" He asked, he had decided that this would be my new nickname and people around the whole Warden camp and the King's Camp had adopted it as my new name.

"Yes, sir. The lines are holding, but the signal from the tower is nonexistent. You would think that lighting a fire would be easy for Alistair." I said, he nodded stiffly.

"Cauthrien, go alert the men to wait for my orders, I don't want any roughhousing and I want the line ready." He said. The woman in question saluted her general and walked back down the hill.

No sooner had he given that order that there was a bright light and the signal fire was lit. I looked up at the light and smiled. I walked over to Loghain and offered my hand. My other hand held my bow.

"May the counting begin, that once with the least kills treats us to drinks." I joked with him, he smiled and took my hand pulling my into a hug.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, I was momentarily confused, but then I felt pain as he shoved a dagger in-between my chest plate. I gasped and stumbled away from him.

"Lil' miss?" Mia asked before she began to convulse and a sword erupted from her chest, and a torrent of blood seeped past her lips. I felt myself turn ice cold, and I felt my vision go red with rage as I watched Mia fall to the ground, the sword being wrenched out of her by Cauthrien. My bow slipped threw my now numb fingers, but I didn't care.

"Ar tu na'lin emma mi" I snarled at her, and she looked bored.

"Speak common, Scaly." She snarled. I sucked on the copper that was in my mouth and spat a torrent at her; it hit her straight into the face. She yelped and tried to wipe it off of her face. Hoped that she got that message with that.

I slowly sank to my knees as I touched the dagger in my side feeling icicles of pain seep from where I had touched it. Slowly Loghain walked toward me, another blade in his hand. I snarled at him and pushed away from the ground to get a small amount of space between me and them.

"Don't come a-any c-closer, t-traitor. Or I w-w-will be f-f-forced to d-do something th-that I don't w-want t-to do." I snarled at him, he looked amused, but I never lie about things. I slowly rose to my feet, and put up a shaky hand. This would drain me, but if I was true with my aim then I would be my revenge.

"**Dance of the Dragons**!" I barked in the old language, calling up my Gift's power. I didn't know very many spells, but this one I knew since I was small. Scarlet flames shot from my hand and engulfed themselves at Loghain's feet, because of the rain wind and because I had a wound my aim was off, so it didn't hit him, but it put some space between both of us. At once I felt the draining aura of the spell, and I sank once again to my knees. I felt empty and spent, and with each breath I felt the blood slowly seep from my body.

I saw black spots replace the red in my vision as I passed out, but little did I know that it was not anything natural that made me pass out. It was the woman with golden eyes and black hair that had put the sleep spell on me, and she laughed as she picked me up and put me on top of a bird along with another golden haired person. My journey was just beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

I had no dreams, in which I was also glad. I had thought that I was dead, since I had passed out during the battle of thousands of darkspawn, but other than the slight pain of drawing breath I was quite alright. I thought back to Mia and I felt a small whimper being torn from my chest, and I knew that watching her die at the hands of someone she trusted was not a fair way for her to die. She deserved better, I deserved better. I realized something, I only got hurt whenever I trusted someone near me, that time in battle when I had trusted Duncan when I was fighting the bears and one got through my guard, how I had trusted Mia and she had hit me in the head with her axe, and then with Loghain I had my guard completely down and he had stabbed me in the back… literally. From now on I would make a promise to myself, I would no long trust anyone, I would fight to avenge Mia, and even if by doing so I died in the process, just as long as I could see the life drain from those traitorous bastards eyes.

Speaking of eyes, I could feel that someone was staring at me. I didn't like it whenever I was being stared at so I opened my eyes to glare at the person that was staring at me. My dragon eyes met golden ones and I felt dread rise up within me. I was completely at the mercy of whoever had helped drag me off of the battlefield, they could be people who meant to sacrifice me, or they could be waiting for me to wake up to skin me alive. But as I looked into the golden eyes of the raven haired girl, I couldn't help but to see a fierce wildness in her gaze. She seemed like she was intelligent enough, but I was now never going to let my guard down around anyone.

"Your eyes finally open, mother should be pleased." She said as she set the book that she had on her lap aside, and moved from her seat by my bed to put her hand on my forehead. I flinched away from her touch and she gave a little 'tsk' before settling her cool hand on my forehead.

"Do I know you, or your mother?" I asked her in an even voice.

"No, but we met that suspicious dimwitted one that is part of your order." She said back.

"You met Alistair then, how is he?" I asked wincing as I struggled to sit up, she moved to help me but one look from my eyes and she backed away from me. She must not have liked what she saw in the pent up fury that lied behind them.

"He is outside, by the fire. Brooding." She said nonchalantly, as if she had to mask her own hurt from me flinching from her.

"Why is he brooding?" I asked her, now fully sat up. She leaned against the far wall from me, and I felt a spike of guilt from flinching from her.

"The battle was lost, the man who was supposed to come to your aid quit the field." She began to explain and I snorted at Loghain being a traitor but otherwise stayed silent.

"Those who he abandoned were massacred. Your friend, Alistair, isn't taking this well." She said, her eyes seemed to be waiting for me to explode, but I didn't give her the satisfaction on feeding on my emotions.

_Duncan is dead, Cailan is dead, Mia… she is dead. They are all dead, because you were too stupid, too trustworthy to save them…_

"I see. I guess that I am well enough to go and socialize with your mother now, but I cannot guarantee that I will be civil to Alistair." I told her truthfully as I slowly got up. I used my tail to try and help me balance myself as I wobbly walked to the door. I was stopped by her, and this time I glared with all the force that I had at my disposal despite the way that I was wobbling.

"You might want to put on some clothes, least the blushing boy die of shame." She said with a wicked grin on her face. I looked down to see that I was completely naked with only a bandage covering my ribs where the bastard had stuck the knife, and the two necklaces that held the Wardens Oath and the rings.

"Where are my clothes?" I asked her. She walked to the back to the shack that we were in and produced my armor, well the clothing part of it.

"Tis too hard to lift the metal part of your armor, but it is by the fire, mother had me clean and sew these back together." She said. I took the cloth with a nod of thanks.

I put on the underclothing of my grey warden armor. Once it was on I noticed that I couldn't find the stitching that would have mended the fabric together. I thought as much, she was a mage. I hope that she didn't see my own demonstration of power.

"I didn't catch your name." I said to her when I was done.

"Because I did not offer it, Halfling." She said. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"My name is Seiren." I told her, and she nodded.

"You may call me Morrigan, if you wish." She said. There was a moment of awkward silence before I chose to break it.

"Thank you for saving me. Though I don't know why you would do such a thing for a stranger." I told her, she laughed.

"Truthful words, I thought all dragons spoke in riddles." She said in a devious voice, and I chose not to chomp at her bait to start an argument to distract myself from the question.

"You can tell me why you saved me." I told her as I turned toward her.

"Tis not I who saved you, you will have to talk to mother for that information." Morrigan said and I sighed.

"Alight, will you let me leave now?" I asked her, she was still blocking my way to the door. She quickly stepped aside and I pushed passed her.

"I believe that I should start supper." She muttered to herself as I opened up the door to the shack and I walked out into the morning air.

My tail flicked in irritation as I could smell Alistair and he had been crying, that or he had something in his eyes. He looked at me with bloodshot eyes, and I couldn't help but to think of Merrill, how she had cried for so long before I gave her closure. _But your not here to make friends, are you? You should put him out of his misery because he is useless to you right now._

I didn't know where this voice was coming from, if it was me or if I was just going crazy, but in that moment I truly believed that Alistair needed to put on his big boy pants and not be an emotional brat. People say that women are emotional, but they're nothing compared to little boys. I walked slowly from the shade of the hut, not looking at Alistair but keeping my eyes on the old woman next to him. She looked old and frail, but I knew better than to underestimate her. She had an aura that screamed for me to either flight or fight.

Her yellow eyes looked straight into mine and I felt a rumble build up in my chest, and for once in my life I truly acted like a dragon because I gave her the most territorial dragon growl of my life. My upper lip pulled back and I barred my teeth at her as I growled. Alistair took a step toward me and I snarled at him with all the fury that I possessed. My tail lashed out and I felt my vision go red again. Then the woman did something that I never thought anyone would do when faced with the wrath of a dragon, she started to laugh.

"Calm yourself, Dragonling, I have no wish to fight." She said when she was done laughing. I still didn't back down, but I tried to see through the red sheen that had come behind my eyes.

"You have saved me for a reason, witch, and I will know why." I growled at her. Her eyes sparkled.

"Do I have to have a reason, Seiren?" I ignored the fact that I was stunned that she knew my own name.

"You have a reason for wanting to save me, no one such as you Asha'bellanar does anything for the fun of it." I said.

"I would like an answer to a question." She said, I snorted.

"You kept me alive just to have an answer to a question?" I snarled at her.

"A very important question, one that's answer will either bring ruin or prosperity." She said back, her voice and eyes projected a sort of calm from me that I finally backed down from my aggressive stance, but I kept my guard up.

"What is the question, Asha'bellanar?" I asked her, she smiled again.

"What was the color of your scales before you were tainted?" She asked, and I felt confusion hit me. Why would she want to know that?

"Golden." Was my short answer, and she tsked.

"Then part of my dept that I owe your father is repaid by saving his daughter, do tell him dear when you see him that I have kept my part of the bargain." She said, as she turned and started to walk into the swamp that surrounded us on four sides.

"Where are you going?" I shouted at her, forgetting that I had a booming voice, and I heard a flock of birds in a tree out near her burst into flight at the sound of my voice.

"To give you and your fellow grey warden some time to talk, you have much to discuss." She said, and then she was gone. I slowly looked at Alistair to see the shock and fear that was on his face.

"Ren… You're alive… I thought that you were dead for sure…" He said in a small voice, laced with roughness from him crying.

"It takes more than a stupid bastard and his little bitch friend to finish me, but for a moment there I was ready to be with the Creators." I said in a low voice, slowly letting the tension ease from my frame.

"Duncan's dead… the King, the whole order… all dead." He sobbed, and went to hug me.

_He will stab you like Loghain did, he will try to kill you if you let him touch him!_

"Don't touch me!" I snarled at him as I jumped away from his form.

I landed on the other side by a fire and I wrapped my arms around myself. I could still feel the cold steel enter my chest, and how his arms had held me in an almost sympathetic embrace. Slowly waiting for me to lower my guard, until he like a viper could strike. He would be just like Loghain; he would wait and then strike when I was not expecting it. I would not give anyone that chance again.

"Just… stay away from me, and don't touch me for a while." I growled over to him, he looked like he was hurting and he was giving me the kicked puppy expression. I just couldn't go anywhere near him not without the fear of him turning on me. I took a deep calming breath and I sat down on one of the logs near the fire, seeing Alistair moving to sit next to me but though better of it and moved to a log to my right.

"We need to find out where we go from here." He said softly, after a while.

" 'We'? Alistair when did I agree to go with your little plan?" I asked him.

"Since you became a Grey Warden!" He hissed at me, now angry. Good, I could deal with anger better than remorse.

"I didn't really know what I was getting into when I drank that blood, I was thinking that I was sparing myself from having to die on Duncan's blade." I told him, lowering my head in my hands.

"You made an oath—"

"I made nothing." I stated to him, looking at him in the eye.

"You are being a coward." He snarled at me, and I took this moment to show him what a coward would do, I stood up and grabbed him by the front of his chainmail. I locked my claws into the links and pulled him off of the ground. He was taller than me but I had leverage over him because of my greater strength.

"What did you just say?" I said, the red vision took over again, and my tail lashed out like a pissed off cat. I gripped his armor tighter and I felt him wince, but his face held fury.

"You heard me, coward. I didn't know that dragons were cousins of chickens!" He snapped at me, completely unphased by the fact that I was holding him above the ground, and I was getting pissed off.

"I didn't know that Grey Wardens were so emotional, you remind me of a winey annoying child that just lost his doll!" I snarled at him.

We stood there, well one dangled there, as we glared each other down. Alistair now had no more tears in his eyes. I was the first one to move, by putting him down and he stumbled back onto the log. He rubbed his neck with a small smile on his face, I couldn't help it, and I cracked one too.

"Holy maker woman! How much can you lift?" He said as we started to laugh. I didn't tell him, but we laughed anyway. It was our way of relieving the tension of our bodies, by doing this it would allow us to not cry in the place of this joyless emotion.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly as I stopped and was silent when I sat down next to him.

"Only if you talk about what happened in the tower first." I told him. I didn't feel ready to tell him.

_He lies, but you will never let your guard down around him, will you?_

He started to tell me about the peerless crossing of the bridge that leads from the tower to the main camp. How there were already darkspawn stragglers that had littered themselves along the path. When he had gotten to the tower her found a mage and a solider that had told him that the tower was lost, and he decided to go in anyway. I called him a stupid idiot some of the time, but he just grinned and told his heroic tale. Then he got to the giant ogre that was on the top level of the tower. After he had finished it off he had light the beacon and then was ambushed by more darkspawn. So that's why the signal was late, lucky for me that it was otherwise it would have ended even more badly for us.

"What about your story? You were at the front lines with Loghain, what happened?" He said softly, only being loud to spit out the traitor's name when it came upon his lips.

I began to tell him about how I had taken out an ogre that had strayed to the fringes of the line. I smirked in amusement when his eyes got large when I said this, apparently humans couldn't see that far let alone shoot a bow that far. I told him how his signal had come, how Loghain had moved in for a hug only to stab me and how I had watched Mia die. I didn't tell him about my little burst of magic, humans did view mages differently from the rest of society. I just told him that I had blacked out from loss of blood because the dagger had come too close to my heart, which was slightly true because it had.

When I had finished my tale Alistair was completely in awe.

"I'm sorry that I tried to hug you back there… I had no idea that the bastard would do something that rash." He said, but I gave him a look of fury that wasn't directed at him.

"You can have that bastard's head, I will avenge Mia and I will make the bitch that killed her pay." I growled, he seemed to understand.

"I don't care if it doesn't coexist with our goal, I want her blood on my hands, while I watch you cut off the bastard's head." I added when he remained silent.

"We need to think about the Blight, not revenge right now." He said firmly to me.

"But we will avenge our brothers and sisters deaths, right?" I asked him, he nodded and that was good enough for me.

"Fine, we talk darkspawn now, revenge later." I said, settling down for a long talk on strategy, which I was somewhat good at.

"We need to figure out what to do from here." Alistair said as we both thought intensely.

We both began to speak of calling on allies that would help out cause; Arl Eamon had come up several times. I didn't know the Arl of Redcliff but I did know that Alistair held him in high regard, so that was something to ponder. I didn't know if I could call on my Clan, but Alistair said that they would have to because of the treaty. I smiled when I remembered what the Keeper had told me when she had tried to get me to go willingly with Duncan. The only problem was that the treaties were not in their hands; they had been packed up on a Grey Warden supply caravan and had been moved from the Camp for safety.

I sensed her a moment before her voice cut the silence. "So, are you both ready to become Grey Wardens?" Asha'bellanar asked as she glided from the same place that she had left from. Alistair jumped five feet into the air as I looked at her with hate filled eyes.

"Yes." I said shortly as we both recovered from her sudden appearance.

"But you need one last thing to make this all alright, you need those treaties… and I know just the person to do it for you." Asha'bellanar said just as Morrigan came through the door of the shack. She took one look at their faces and then turned around to slam the door behind her.

"M'dear, the Wardens need a favor, don't be such a spoilsport!" Asha'bellanar said as she walked to the door and opened it to step inside.

* * *

><p>I kneeled there, at the very top of a tree that had not been completely destroyed by the darkspawn with a raven on my shoulder. The giant pine overlooked the entire valley permeating its scent to fill the air as its roots covered and twisted along the trails that were the main commuting points in or out of the valley. As I looked down at the now rugged landscape, littered with the still burning remains of the hope that a thoughtless ruler that had cast aside to live his long awaited dream of idiotic glory, but now his glory was filling the air with dark twisting smoke that was acid in my lungs. The entire camp had been skillfully ransacked and then torn apart. I could see the bodies of those that had not gotten away as they hung on rotting sticks to either die of starvation or hopelessness as the vultures that waited along the dead twisted trees for their pound of meat.<p>

The raven who was Asha'bellanar's daughter Morrigan turned its golden eyes on me, as if to ask if I was foolish enough to brave the camp to rescue the foolish who had not the sense to run soon enough or to fight to the death. I slowly turned my eyes away from the camp and looked to tracking the trials that the wagons had left in their own haste to escape from the fighting. I bunched my muscles and sprang earning a squawk from the raven as I soared into the air and landed at the next blunt burnt branch that was twisted with heat and age. The raven hovered near my head as I scanned the landscape. I jumped again and again and soon came within the view of the hill that had absorbed her own blood into its now dead grass. I looked down at the bird that came to land on my shoulder now that I was in no danger of moving again.

"I need you to get my bow from the wreckage, and bring it back to your house, I will get the treaties." I said softly to it, there were no darkspawn near the place where I had tried to fry Loghain so she would be safe.

I wanted my bow back for one thing, and I also didn't like it whenever I had a shadow. I did things better alone, as demonstrated in my Clan where I had learned to be solo or with Merrill at Tamlen's assistance because she had the tendency to space out and not notice the ten foot bear that was charging her. I would need a weapon, my bow had served me well, but I would also need to get a sword too, Mia was right about one thing… I would need to be stronger when I faced my enemy equally when I met her next.

I slowly began to follow the trail that led out of the Grey Warden Camp. It had gotten far, before the people abandoned guarding it in favor of their own lives. The Darkspawn had tipped them over and ripped them apart. I knew that the food was gone, but also some of the supplies were unsalvageable. I slowly descended upon the ruined cart; I made sure that the few darkspawn that were around it were dead before I started to search the cart.

"There were only two tents, a small pack of dried food, I found my cloak and pack, and some other things." I told him as I set down the giant pile that was in my arms. There was a clanking of pots and pans muffled by the tents and other packs that I had gotten and I had filled with things salvageable.

Alistair kneeled next to the things by the fire, sifting through the things as I checked my armor that I had opted out on wearing for my little scout mission. I had also kept one other thing hidden from him, in my pack was the dagger that I had gotten from the valley. It was wrapped with a thick cow hide and tied with a string and set at the bottom of my pack. I would not take it out until I was close to my other goal. My first priority was to defeat the Blight, for both my sanity and Alistair's.

There was a small exclaim that made me look up in alarm, but it was just Alistair pulling out a shield. I had recognized it from my travels with Duncan, he had carried it along with both of his swords. The Grey Warden logo of the griffin and I thought that Alistair would like that better than his ratty older shield. He pulled it out and looked at me with wide happy eyes that Merrill would usually give me whenever I would bring her an unusual root that she couldn't identify. I saw a slight shine in his eyes and I could smell the salt that would accompany tears, but before he could try to sob something very wooden dropped on his head snapping him out of his remorse. He rubbed his head as he slowly picked up the stick, that was my bow. He looked around in confusion, and I held back a laugh as a raven landed next to me.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" I asked her as she looked up at me. I saw Alistair's face chance into something that was completely confused.

"You know that it's a bird right? Not a person that can answer back and give you the answers that you want." He said sarcastically, but as he said that there was a bright light and Morrigan was on the log next to me… and she wasn't wearing any clothes.

Three things happened, Alistair turned bright red and shielded his face with both of his arms, Morrigan got up took the bow from his hands and wacked him on the head with it and tossed it to me which I caught while I was rolling on the log laughing. Morrigan rolled her eyes and snorted at Alistair, and she walked with her head high to the shack to slam the door for the second time that day… well now almost night.

Alistair glared at me between his fingers that slowly exposed his red face. I took on look at him and lost myself to my laughter. We never had such a modesty issue among the Clans, with traveling in such tightly knit clans you see everyone at least once. Lucky for me only Tamlen and Merrill were the only ones in my Clan that had seen me naked. His shyness was what also surprised me because the Grey Wardens even bathe together, so I wondered what his problem was, besides him being a virgin. He must be very sheltered, or religious.

"That was a sight that I will have nightmares from, the Archdemon has nothing on her." He said with a visible shutter. I giggled again when he finally put his hands down.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Seiren." Said Asha'bellanar as she popped up right beside me, I jumped and snarled at her in surprise. She laughed as I stalked away from her to sit by Alistair.

"So you are ready to be Grey Wardens, now?" She asked turning her golden eyes on Alistair because he could feel the intensity of her own gaze.

"Yes… err… I guess we should thank you?" He asked as he looked at me for backup. I guess he could feel a small amount of the pressure of her gaze.

"No need, for I was just saving you from a fate that you will face many more times before you fall. Now I have a favor to ask you." She said with a devious smile as Morrigan came out of the shack fixing her robes, and carrying a pack.

* * *

><p>The next morning found me in a tree again as I scouted with a raven on my shoulder. This time Morrigan had changed to get away from the bumbling idiot that was shouting up to me. I ignored his pouting and instead threw a pinecone from one of the trees at him so that he would shut up. Morrigan seemed to like this and she cawed down angrily at Alistair.<p>

"The village is just outside the trees," I called down to him, I could hear him grumble something but I couldn't make out the words.

As I descended from the tree Morrigan flew from my shoulder and into the bushes. Alistair winced when there was a weird sound and a bright light that illuminated a silhouette of Morrigan against the trees and dark shadows. She emerged a moment later adjusting her robes, I tossed her pack to her since Alistair was still having a hissy fit and he refused to carry anything that she had touched. She caught it and then grabbed her staff that was leaning against the tree that I had just climbed. She nodded to me, and I continued down the trail with Alistair and Morrigan tailing behind me, I didn't like lead and I told Alistair that and he said that he would lead once he got out of the Wilds and into civilization, I was not one to lead.

"So did you have a nightmare last night?" He asked, breaking the silence that was slowly building into an awkward one with lots of glares.

"No, I slept really well, why?" I asked him. I was curious why he would ask me.

"Because— Owww, what the hell?" I turned around to see Alistair rubbing his head, and Morrigan with an innocent look on her face; I also noticed a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Something that you want to tell me?" I asked them, putting my hands on my hips and giving them a look that made them both wish that they hadn't said or done anything. It was the stance that I had learned from the Keeper when I had confessed to something that either Merrill or Tamlen had done, but I was taking the blame for them.

"Tis not important, this imbecile saw you climb into my tent last night during his watch… he wanted to ask if we were… lovers." She said, struggling to keep a straight face. I laughed at this.

"No, Alistair I am not having sex with Morrigan. I forgot to tell you that ever since I was a child I would climb into the beds of others and cuddle in order to feel safe. I guess that Morrigan makes me feel safe." I told him, and then I turned around to start to walk again.

"So that was what that was… I was wondering why you went to Mia's tent the night before the battle." He commented to himself.

"And before this thing is over, I might even go into your tent. I'll offer you some advice also, don't try to turn me away, you'll loose your face and your pride before I get my way." I told him over my shoulder. He tripped over his feet and scrambled up back onto them with wobbly feet.

"But I-I'm a man!" He spluttered. I let a giggle flow passed my lips.

"It doesn't matter, Ali, I woke up in the arms of Tamlen many times. I don't really like you that way so don't worry… I won't rape you, and I'll make sure that all of those cute little girls won't take advantage of you either." I said turning my head to wink at him. I had woken up in Tamlen's arms, but they were always intertwined with Merrill's arms as well.

"Right… change of subject is in order." He said. Morrigan gave an evil laugh as well.

"I agree, let's talk about how we are going to sneak you through Lothering without having the whole village hunt us with pitchforks." She said, and I looked back at her.

"Morrigan! You will hold you tongue you…sneaky witch bitch!" Alistair snarled at her. Interesting insult to tell someone, but I had better things to do then watch two people fight over the stupidity of the human race.

"I will go around it while you pick up what we need, I do not wish to cause any attention right now. I will set up a trail that Morrigan can follow to the camp that I will set up." I told them, Alistair looked confused.

"Why would she have to sneak through the village?" He asked, I rolled my eyes at his denseness.

"Not many people are half dragon, and the little fact of my armor. Its Grey Warden armor, have you forgotten that we are being hunted? You can walk through the village with your templar shield and I can take your other shield, but I refuse to skip this opportunity to get supplies just because I want to try to make a point about both my race and occupation." I told him.

"So you will go and make camp? What will you do in the time it will take us to get back to the very well made camp?" She asked me, I smiled.

"I will hunt and get dinner ready, and I will establish a perimeter." I told her.

"So... you sure that you don't want to come? To you know… babysit?" He asked in a hopeful voice. I sighed, he and Morrigan might just burn down the town." He said, his eyes were a little unfocused with worry.

As soon as we reached the outskirts of the town I pulled my pack off of my shoulders. I rummaged through it until I came to a small horn. It had fallen off of my head a few years ago, when I was still growing. Merrill had carved it and made it into a signal that could be heard leagues around the person who blew it. I handed it to Alistair.

"If it comes to it, you can summon me any time. If it's to talk, then I might just smack you in the back of the head before I come back to the camp, and if I cannot come then I will signal you." I told him, he looked at me, confused.

"How will you do that?" He asked, I smiled at him.

"You'll see, Morrigan will know what to look for." I told him.

"Wonderful, now that we are done talking about this… the chantry boy and I have some shopping to do." Morrigan said as she grabbed Alistair's arm and dragged him onto the main road. I gave them a little wave before I turned and climbed up into the closest tree. I just didn't know that supplies weren't all that they were going to bring back with them. I forgot to tell them that I don't like surprises. Especially when it came in the forms of a crazy religious people, and giants that murdered people.


	5. Chapter 5

The air in the woods was slowly seeping into my pours as I leaned back against a mossy tree, whose roots twisted and formed a nice little nook that I leaned into while I was resting. I could still feel the slow burning of anger from when I had answered Alistair's call, and the one before that, and the one before that. The man was more paranoid than Merrill, and couldn't lead to save his life. Morrigan told me that he was just seeing if I was alright, and if I needed anything else and after I had smacked him in the head with my tail I told Morrigan that she was only allowed to hold the horn and blow it if there was anything that they needed.

Now, there was an established camp, the tents were set up and my latest hunt was slowly being marinated by the fire to be put on when the others got back. Morrigan had told me that they had been charged with solving every problem that the village had, and I could tell that it irritated her beyond belief that he was wasting her time with trivial tasks that weren't going to stop the fall of the village when the Darkspawn chose to claim it. But it wasn't my job to question Alistair and his motives, I was there to support him as leader because the boy needed some confidence or we were all going to die because we were going to die with me being their leader. I wasn't one to lead, but support is what I did best.

Slowly I felt myself drifting off into a dream, but I shook myself awake because when I was alone I would dream horrible things, it would happen when I slept alone and now that I was a Grey Warden with the darkspawn blood dreams I would not be able to sleep alone for a while because those types of dreams would slowly break me. Slowly I drifted off into a waking sleep before all of a sudden it was dark. It was like I blinked and now it was night. I cursed myself for being careless with the camp and I looked to see if my wards were still in place, I couldn't cast very many spells but the ones that I knew were very strong, and I was confident in my ability to be able to detect anything that had passed through the wards. Along with my fire magic I could cast detecting wards that would warn me if anything humanoid would pass through them, and I could also cast barriers, but all magic drained me so it was used for me at a last resort, when all else would fail.

Since it was dark out now, I felt like kicking myself for wasting a whole day, I slowly got up and stretched. I brushed some stray leaves from my hair and walked over and hoisted the deer onto the fire to roast. I sighed as I settled on the logs and put my head into my hands.

He had gotten a dog of all things! The animal seemed to love me, as it attacked my face with its tongue every time it saw me, and Alistair assured me that it was a good thing. We had dogs in the Clans, but they were wild things that would bite your hand off as soon as you moved around them. They had hated me, because of my foreign scent, and I remember that when I was little some of the other hunters had unleashed some of them as a prank and they had attacked me. I remember that two of the Clan moved to help me, and that's when I had met Tamlen and Merrill. They had pestered me until I came out of my little shell that I had surrounded myself with and they had become my best friends, by annoying me enough I finally gave in and decided to trust them. I had expected the Mabari to attack me as the other dogs that I had met had, but he had just looked at me with intelligent eyes and whined at me. I slipped him a piece of dried meat that I had when no one was looking and after that he had bathed me with his tongue every time Alistair called me back into town.

I inhaled, smelling the smoke that flowed from the fire, and listened to the slight hissing of the meat as it slowly roasted. I felt a slight twinge and a sort of cold wash over my skin as I stared into the dancing red yellow flames that danced before my eyes. Alistair had passed through the ward, then I felt another cold rush as Morrigan passed through it also, and the dog was right at her heels. I sighed and got up to walk to meet them when another cold rush washed over me. I froze half way out of the camp, when another cold wash came over me, and then one more followed that. There were three things following our group and I didn't know who or what they were, but they were not being expected.

_You were wrong, Alistair has brought Loghain back to kill you! Quick, you must defend yourself!_

I acted quickly diving toward my pack I grabbed my bow and my chest plate before I dashed to the thickest tree and scrambled up it. I strung my bow and quickly buckled the chest plate. I cursed myself for letting my guard down _again_ and since I was not prepared; my other pieces of armor that went on my legs and arms were sitting by my pack. I would just have to make do with just what I had.

The snapping of twigs and the clanking of armor signaled that they were near. I drew my bow feeling the arrow come into the string, a familiar feeling that was supposed to bring me security just brought me guilt because I was going to do this. Slowly Alistair came into view, leading the group into the came, Morrigan right behind him.

"Ren! We're back!" He called. I slowly aimed and followed him as he slowly came into the camp.

"T'would seem that she is out hunting." Morrigan commented as she glided into the camp.

"And how do you know that, are you some sort of Witch Detective?" He snapped at her, she rolled her golden eyes at him.

"Tis obvious you dimwit, she took her bow and her chest plate. Either she is hunting game or hunting us in these woods. She will be back soon." Morrigan said as she walked into camp past Alistair and to the fire where she shed her cloak and pack to warm her hands by the fire. Alistair soon joined her sitting as far away from her as the fire would allow.

"Its ok, guys, you can come into the camp we'll talk to her when she gets back!" Alistair called to the forest. I moved my aim to the new crashing that rang through the forest.

A small red head popped through the trees looking left then right before she took a step back into the woods.

"The coast is clear, yes?" She asked, her voice carried an accent that was familiar to me, but I couldn't place it.

"She seems to be out hunting, Leliana, we'll make sure that she doesn't make you into some sort of pin cushion later." Alistair called.

There was a very feminine giggle that rang in my ears, like small little chimes before she slowly came out of the cover of the trees. As soon as I saw her I started to doubt if they were spies from Loghain. She was not the type that would seem like a heartless killer, or a sword for hire. I followed her with the tip of my arrow at her heart as she walked across the camp. She was wearing robes that had an eye on them surrounded by fire. I suspected that she was a sister of the chantry, but the way that she moved said that she wasn't always a sister of the chantry. She would be useful because the way that she moved suggested that she was a rouge.

"Ohh! Are these hers?" She squealed as she ran toward my armor pile. I smirked as she tried to raise one of my armor pieces only to yelp and drop it. It was very heavy for her, but to me it was light as a feather.

"She seems to have abandoned her post, that must mean that she is sloppy." A deep voice said from the trees.

I turned my bow, gripping it in anger as I saw the next person walk out of the bushes. I froze when I saw all of the six and a half feet of a Qunari walk out of the trees. There was no doubt that he was also not part of Loghain's little group. I knew very little about the Qunari, but what I did know was that he had not abandoned his role in the Qun meaning that he was not working as a sword for hire, and I highly doubt that Loghain had managed to convince the Qunari leaders of allegiance.

Now I felt rather foolish waiting up in the tree, but I was still too stubborn to come down. I was still pissed off that Alistair had recruited people in my group without even asking for my input. I shifted ever so slightly in irritation to see that the Qunari's eyes snapped to the tree that I was hiding in. There was no way that he could see me through the branches, but his eyes seemed to expose my hiding place to the world. The Qunari's eyes narrowed but he ruined back to the fire and walked over to Alistair when he had called out.

"Sten, are you looking for something?" The girl asked as Sten sat down with a slight grunt.

"This camp is asking for an ambush." He growled, continuing on even after I aimed for his head, "The trees are too thick to see so watch will be useless, we are near a mountain so retreating will be nonexistent. Your fellow Warden was a fool for thinking that this is an excitable camp—"

"Qunari!" Morrigan interrupted him, he looked at her with a glare that would rival mine any day.

"You speak against me, Saarebas?" he growled, I wondered what that meant. Saarebas, it sounded like an insult the way that he spat it off of his tongue.

"If you step back from the fact that you have already prejudged her since you found out that she is a woman, you would see past the fact that 'tis a very good camp sight. She can see in the dark and over long distances, can you do that? She has scouted that this camp is close to a stream and a lake so we have access to both drinking and bathing water. As for the cliff, tis obvious that she has scouted it and deemed it to out advantage." She said, her yellow eyes flashed in the firelight. I looked into them to see that raw rage that was burning silently in her relaxed frame.

"She is an ignorant woman! She could not have scouted because that is the job of a warrior which she is not because she is a woman, Saarebas," He stated simply.

"Then you are bitter that she accomplished this feat better than you, Tal'Vashoth." Morrigan said, with a wave of her hand and in a nonchalant voice.

Sten's whole frame went still. He slowly began to unlock his muscles, but his jaw remained completely locked and I could hear the silent click of his teeth. Leliana and Alistair stopped their conversation to look at the two of them that were glaring across the fire. Stan's hand twitched, and Morrigan raised an eyebrow at him. All three of us moved at the same time.

Sten grabbed his great sword and stood up into an aggressive position, Morrigan calmly stood up with purple lightning sparking in her palms, and I jumped from the tree after shooting two arrows in rapid movements. When I landed I had a third arrow fit into the string and it was pointed at his chest. The first arrow sparked against his sword, making him turn away from Morrigan to me and the second arrow cut through his thick cloth tunic making a shallow cut and a grunt escape his lips.

"You will step away from them, Sten of the Qun, or you will taste you own blood and my arrows!" I yelled at him as I rapidly closed the distance between us with calculated steps.

"Your speaking Dragon!" Alistair called to me, I cursed the Creators and tried again.

When I repeated the phrase again Morrigan chose to speak up.

"Tis Elven you speak!" She said as she doused her lightning and sat slowly down. Sten's aggressive posture slowly returned to normal as I struggled to find the right language to tell him to get away from my friends. This time for the first time I had purposefully done this to avoid a fight, because we have more important things to do, like me killing Alistair for not telling me about his two new friends.

"Am I speaking Common now?" I asked them, my bow now lowered but I was only a foot from the Qunari.

"You have the most beautiful voice!" Leliana said dreamily at me, her blue eyes sparkled as she bolted up to skip to me. She ignored Alistair's protests of her getting up to walk to me, he knew that I had personal space issues, she did not.

I wondered is she was talking to me, the Halfling with the mutilated scratchy voice that transformed into magical bells when I sang. I lowered my bow to one hand, keeping the arrow in the other as she glided in-between the Qunari and myself. I underestimated her, she had gotten me to lower my guard and my weapon. I shifted so that I held both the bow and arrow in one hand while extending the other, I may not trust them but I sure was going to be polite.

"I am Seiren, but most people call me Ren." I said planting a fake smile on my face. Leliana giggled at me and my fake smile and grasped her petite hand into my own.

"I am Leliana, a Lay Sister of the Chantry. I know that we are going to be friends," She said. I felt my eyes narrow at her choice of words. My eyes flickered from her to briefly land on Sten to wander over to lock with Alistair's. His face was paler than usual and he didn't like the look that I had in my eyes.

"Okay! Not that we got awkward introductions out of the way, Sten and Leliana why don't you set up your tents while Morrigan and I have a little chit chat with Ren." He said in a chipper voice than what was reflected in my eyes. I let go of her hand and she latched herself to Sten and I felt a sense of happiness at his discomfort. She began to chat his ear off as she led him to the place where I had set up the other three tents.

I sheathed the bow to my back and tossed the arrow in the grass to dissolve. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. Alistair cracked a smile, but it vanished when I grabbed him by the collar of his chainmail and put my face inches from his own. I felt a tirade coming on and I wanted him to have a front row seat of what I was about to tell him. I was making pissed off sounds in the back of my throat that reflected my own mood.

"You. Are. Going. To. Die. A. Very. Slow. Death." I snarled in his face, Morrigan's laugh interrupted my tirade.

"I told you fool." She said with a wolf-like grin. I didn't take my slitted eyes from Alistair's face, but I addressed Morrigan.

"You aren't telling me something…" I growled at him. Anger was the understatement of fury that was building in my body.

"No… damn you witch… I mean… well you see…" He stuttered, he found his stuttering cut off when my other hand closed upon his throat making his voce squeak and he found himself cut off from talking.

"Why don't you tell me Morrigan, since you have a knack for telling things straight." I said in a light voice as Alistair slowly turned at shade of red from getting his circulations slowly cut off.

"Well our leader in all of his fabulous glory decided to recruit a renegade Qunari, a Sister that kills people and thinks that the Maker talks to her, and a merchant who doesn't seem to know that traveling with us involves certain death." Morrigan said, she seemed to enjoy the scene of me tightening my fingers then relaxing them on his throat.

"Tis not all, Seiren, he intends to follow us to Redcliff so we can talk to the Arl about the treaties." She finished. Great, this made the perfect cherry on top of this while week.

"Di d you not think to run any of this by me?" I snarled at him, he now started to get angry at me, or it was the lack of blood that was making his face turn purple.

"You made me leader! Isn't part of me leading deciding where to go and what to do?" He said to me.

He was right, now that he was leader I didn't really have a right to question his decisions unless it was to put in input, and since he hadn't let me do that I was going to let him know what I thought of his little decision.

"I'm your comrade in arms, a fellow Sister Warden! I deserved at least some input onto were we were to go!" I growled at him. He was quick to shoot back a reply.

"I would've asked you, but you ran away from the village like a dog with its tail between its legs! And every time that I tried to bring it up when I summoned you, you weren't listening to me!"

"I didn't go into the village, and being near the village made me nervous of compromising the mission" I said evenly to him.

"Why would that compromise the mission?" He asked me, I felt my emotionless face snap.

"LOOK AT ME!" I roared at him causing him to flinch and an unsettling silence echo through the camp after I roared at him. He was now seeing me for the monster that other saw me as.

"Where you see a person, most see a monster. Ever had a whole town chase you for miles with torches and pitchforks screaming 'death to the demon-spawn'? I have and it would inconvenience us greatly if we were not able to resupply today" I snarled at him, trying to calm myself. I really wanted to hit something right now, and Alistair was not an option, I would kill him.

"Warden." Came the voice of the Qunari right beside us. He was speaking to Alistair but his gaze held mine, I felt some of the rage slowly drain from my face and body.

"The merchant has arrived. He has asked to speak." Sten said.

"Alright, thanks Sten." Alistair said, doing his best to talk even thou I had bruised his throat several times. He turned his eyes from Sten to me, he swallowed.

"Ren, we'll talk later." His eyes looked at me, pleading for me to grant this wish.

I sighed and let go, he rubbed his throat and walked toward the unoccupied part of camp. I could just spot the cart and horse. I moved to walk toward them, to at least make sure that they weren't that crazy enough to attack him, but a six and a half foot mass blocked my path. I glared up into the emotionless eyes of the Qunari.

"Atashi, you are not needed in that task." He said taking a stance that would be able to stop of block my path if I chose to go against the Qunari's advice.

"What did you just call me?" I growled at him, irritated that he had just interrupted my conversation and that he was insulting me by calling me a name in his own language that I would not be able understand.

"It is what you are." He said, like he was explaining it to a child.

"What? Are you trying to call me a child or crazy bitch?" I asked him. He snorted.

"It is not my job to educate you on words or how to use them, Atashi, I am sure that you will find out its meaning… eventually." He rumbled.

I growled at him, but seeing how he wasn't going to move on his decision of not telling me the word, or on the decision of not backing up Alistair anytime soon I huffed and turned away from him to walk to the fire. I stuck my hand into it to reach the spit that held the meat to turn it. When it was turned I sat down on a log that was next to Morrigan who had sat on the log that was next to my armor, as if to guard it from others. I took my bow from my back and I kept it stringed as I laid it right next to me. Sten moved into the right of logs that I had placed by around the fire, he crossed his arms and watched me like a hake. He made no move to sit down.

"Tis interesting…" Morrigan commented when I picked up a cloth and took the water skin from my back to rub down my armor. I had one of the leg pieces in my hand.

"What?" I asked her, working a skiff out of a part of it. Her hand darted into my vision to grip the hand that held the cloth, it was also the same hand that I had used to turn the meat.

"That you put your hand into the flames, but suffered no ill effects from the experience." She said, looking at my hand intently.

"I have high fire resistance, part of being a half dragon." I said, enjoying the way her surprisingly soft hands gently prodded and spread my fingers. She soon let my fingers go and I went back to cleaning my armor.

* * *

><p>The moon was now full in the sky, casting luminous shadows on everything its silver light caressed. The silver shadows were broken by the light of the dancing fire that would charge and retreat into the moon's area. My slitted eyes darted from and to the different faces that made up out group by the fire, with plates of steaming meat and warm vegetables they conversed on small topics fill with vague telling of past adventures had. The two guests that would be following us to Redcliff were Bodahn and Sandle were very polite, even if the bow was very "off the wagon", so to speak.<p>

But soon the night became late, and people started to retire to their own tents, or wagon for our guests. I had moved my pack and armor to my tent that had been set up. It was now only Morrigan, Sten, and I who were left around the fire. Sten was on two watches tonight, watch the camp, and watch the Atashi. I knew what his intentions were because his eyes would switch from the forest to me every so often. I decided to ignore the Qunari, and instead asked Morrigan the question that was on my mind ever since I had talked to Asha'bellanar.

"Morrigan, you mother knew my father." I said softly into the night.

"Did she speak of him?" Morrigan asked, as she took out a pedestal and started to grind herbs like Merrill used to do for prologues.

"No, only to say that she owed a dept to be paid." I said, looking at her with pleading eyes, hoping that she would have an answer for me instead of the riddles that her mother had spat at me.

"Then do not take it to heart. Mother thrives in confusion and chaos. She must be toying with you, stringing you along like all other things that she has." Morrigan said, making my hope diminish faster than a candle in rain.

"I… see. Then do you know why she would ask the color of my scales?" I asked her, tossing aside some of my disappointment in favor of trying to get some answers.

"Were you now always black?" Morrigan asked.

"No, I was golden before." I told her, and her reaction was so subtle that if I didn't have the senses of a dragon I would have missed it.

"Tis nothing that I can help you with, I know not the working of my mother." She said not meeting my eyes and I could almost taste the lie that came out of her fowl mouth. I ignored it and settled into silence. Some time later I made a show of yawning and stretching before I got up and without so much as a goodnight I walked over to my tent.

I slowly removed my chest plate and my inner armor leaving me in my small clothes before I pulled my white tunic over my head. I climbed into my bedroll dreading the dream that I was going to have. Alistair said to expect nightmares, and I knew that it meant that I was going to have to deal with the Archdemon in my dreams. He was not so much scary as he was horrifying. I slowly closed my eyes feeling a single tear drop off of my nose due to the fact that I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I slept and met him again.

* * *

><p>"Mage" Was what broke the silence between the Mage and the Qunari after the half-dragon had retired.<p>

"Yes? T'would seem that you are holding something in, Qunari." Morrigan commented to Sten. Ever since she had given Seiren the answer that she had, the Qunari seemed unusually tense.

"You lied." He stated simply. Morrigan smirked.

"Tis interesting you knew, and yet you would not give her the answer that she seeked either." She said back, enjoying trying to make the Qunari squirm.

"There is a reason why our people cut out the tongues of their mages. You demonstrated why today." He said simply as he picked up his sword and stared into the forest.

"Why this all of a sudden, tis not only I who lied to her." She said with a smirk, desperate to feel something other than the unexpected guilt she had felt when she had told the lie to the girl only a half hour ago to see that she had all but stormed into her own tent.

"You spread lies and slander when you speak, you also spread the demons through you speech. You lied to her on purpose for you own pleasure, or so that you can exploit it later." He said, now getting angry at her. She smiled, but knew that this time Seiren might not rescue her.

"You could easy expose what sort of leach I am, why did you not choose to speak? What does that make you?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. She was now intrigued why he was getting angry at her for this, when he could have made it into a whole different situation that would make her seem like 'the big bad Saarebas' in everyone's eyes.

"Because she already knows that you lied to her, she is just going to wait for you to admit it to her." He said, he finally got up and left the fire to let her brood in her own guilt.

Soon, hours later, there was a startled gasp and heavy breathing that could be heard from the Atashi's tent. Soon after some rustles of clothing she emerged from her tent to dash to the Sister's tent. There was a soft exclamation and then soft words could be heard from inside the tent. Soon all was silent in the night as the dragon found her sleep peaceful and uninterrupted with a pair of pale arms wrapped around her guarding her from the dreams that would plague her in the coming months.

**— Ok so I am sorry about the short chapter, I honestly think that this is my most hated chapter of them all, and I promise that they wont all suck like this one. I just wanted to get this out of the way, and hopefully I can get back onto the plot again. Thank you for all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites. I am writing the Redcliff chapter as your eyes read this! Thanks!**

** -Angel**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: ok so I have a little story to tell all of the people reading this. This document was originally started and finished on 1/10/12, but as I decided to put it on the web, my computer decided to flip me off and give me a blue screen. Me, being the stupid cocky person I am, I didn't realize that if I had backed up all of my files I wouldn't be without this document being posted before this.**

**I feel for all of you people who get crap for your computers crashing, because believe me people it sucks. So with no further delay, I bring you the next chapter of The Qunari and the HalfElf. **

**Tell me what you think!**

— **Angel**

He stood by the fire, not looking at the flames or even me when I approached him. That was a first. He seemed even more distant since a few nights ago, and he was very distant those few nights ago.

"I have nothing to say that would amuse you, Atashi, leave me in peace." He sighed as I sat next to him.

I just wanted to ask you a question…" I said softly, trying not to make him too angry at me.

"You are like an Imekari who is always asking questions that have no relevance. Fine I will answer if the question is something that would benefit to the overall goal of the mission of defeating the Blight." He said, and inwardly I cringed. He would never answer this one then.

"What was your role in the Qunari?" I asked him, seeing his scowl was enough to make me turn to walk away because he would not answer that question.

"I am Sten of the Beresaad—the vanguard—of the Qunari people." He said, his deep voice cut through my hasty retreat. I hadn't expected him to answer the question.

"Is Sten your name, or your title?" I asked him as I walked back to sit on the stump next to him. He didn't seem to mind this question.

"You are learning. It is both." He said, and I tilted my head in confusion. But I remembered, he would never call any of us by our names, he would call us by what we did. That must be what the Qunari did, so I wondered what Atashi did in the Qun.

"You don't have names, just titles of your station. So Atashi is a title, what does it mean?" Too late did I realize it was a question.

"That is not for me to say, you understand because you are the Atashi after all, just like how I am the Sten." He said simply. I sighed and stared into the flames.

"Do you mind if tonight I join you in meditation? I need to have better control of my emotions." I said to him after a few moments. He stood up suddenly and walked away. I felt my heart sink into my stomach, I hadn't meant to offend him. I had seen him meditate several times during our breaks for camp, and I had also seen him training with his sword the other times.

"You will also join me in training then, a bow is not a weapon it is a piece of wood that flings sticks." He called over his shoulder to me, and I felt myself smiling even though his words made me feel a pang of sadness. Mia said the same thing to me.

I scrambled up and walked with him. He pulled his silverite great sword and handed me another balanced great sword. He led me to another small clearing out of vision of the others, but it was just a small ways out of the camp so that they could hear us.

I looked around the clearing in interest, and then looked at him only to dodge a slash that had enough force to cleave me in half. I guess that we were starting now. I unsheathed the great sword and soon the clashing and cursing of swords was heard throughout the camp.

He was fast, faster than I would've thought with the weight of his sword and his height. I blocked the best that I could, but I was not used to a sword. I blocked and swung with as much strength that I could, but the sword seemed wrong. Countless times he would disarm me, and I would growl as I went to retrieve the sword. He seemed to smirk into my back as he found my many weaknesses with the sword and exploited them, when I would fix them, it would make even more weaknesses in my guard so that he would get through it no matter what I did.

When he was satisfied that I could hold onto my sword for more than a minute he made me sit cross-legged on the ground as he started to pace around me. I felt a twinge of nervousness of him being like this.

"You are too tense, relax and let your mind wander, Atashi." He told me, suddenly behind me and pushing down on my shoulders.

I slowly began to feel my shoulders relax under his large firm hands. I sighed and rolled my head to give him better access to my shoulder as I felt my eyes slowly close. I let a noise of protest escape my lips when he suddenly stopped rubbing my shoulder.

"You are supposed to stay alert, Atashi." His voice cut through the moment of pure bliss, and I quickly sat up rigged.

"Yes, sorry Sten." I said as I expanded my senses again, trying to not let him distract me again. He walked from my side to sit in front of me. His eyes seemed to bare into mine, as if he could see the extent of my soul through my dragon eyes.

Looking at him, I saw a small scar that was on his lip, I saw how his breathing seemed to always be calculated and deep. I focused on my own making it match his, feeling my heart slowly slow down as I relaxed as I looked at him. Unknowing to me, but several people were watching us in our staring contest.

* * *

><p>"Bad dreams, Huh?" Alistair asked me as I exited Leliana's tent so I wouldn't wake her.<p>

Tonight he had come back into my mind, and he had tortured me with images of places that were so real but out of reach. For two days I had slept with Leliana, and he seemed to come back on the third night that we were in camp. I guess that she doesn't make a very good protector, I knew that if I didn't feel safe, or if I didn't trust the person that I was sleeping with at the time, my nightmares would be horrible. I wasn't about to go to Alistair's tent next, strong warrior he was he was still a chantry virgin that would probably blush the whole night. That left either Morrigan or Sten.

"Why are you bothering me? I'm fine." I growled at him, my mind was still a little foggy in my defense.

"It's just that you were shouting, loud. And not in the good—this is private—way either." He said lightly.

"It's nothing. Just sucks that I can speak dragon too." I said as I walked over to the log by the fire and put my head in between my hands.

"You can understand it? All it ever does is roar at me… lucky." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah? Well roaring is a lot less scary then what he tells me." I said grimly as I squeezed my hair.

"Don't worry, soon you'll learn how to block it out," he assured me, I didn't need assurance I needed the dreams to stop, damn it!

We stared into the flames, well he stared, and I looked at the ground. Finally after a moment of silence I looked up at him. He seemed too small, even though he was several years older than me; he still seemed small and child-like. He also was drifting off to sleep.

"Ali," I said, cutting through his body's attempts to sleep. His head jerked up wildly and he looked around, his eyes settled on me as if he forgot that I had been sitting there.

"Why don't you go to bed? I can take care of the rest of your watch." I told him, as he yawned loudly. He looked at me in complete surprise. I never took watch, instead I would scout in the early hours of the morning for possible paths that would take us to Redcliff faster. I had no wish to go to another village, but Alistair had told me to make all haste, and as Sten so nicely reminded me every time that I wanted to kill our young leader, I had to follow orders. I think that half the time, Sten and Morrigan wanted to throttle Alistair more than I did.

"What? But then you would be getting less sleep than usual, and even the sleep that you had wouldn't be at your best for tomorrow!" He protested weakly. I was a little touched by his concern, but I could handle myself. I was still at the top of my game after I had stayed up for several nights in a row. Granted I slept for a whole day after that, but I had done what was needed for the good of the group.

"I am not going back to sleep anytime soon, so go and get some shut eye… you look like you need it." I told him. He nodded and walked over to his tent to call back to me.

"Sten has third watch!" He said, and I rolled my eyes when he went into his tent. Of course Sten had third watch, third watch was the time when I would wake from my restless sleep to go out and scout. He seemed to like to keep an eye on me, for some unknown reason.

I would wake Sten in a few hours, when it was time for him to do third watch, then I would go out scouting. We were less than two days from Redcliff. It worried me that Alistair had cast aside the fact that I was probably going to get us killed in that village and then this whole country that was not my own was going to be destroyed. I was torn between running away or fighting for a place that would eventually tear me apart with its bare hands.

A few hours later had me standing outside of the Qunari's tent. I was reluctant to enter, but I knew that I would have to do it eventually. I slowly inched my hand to his tent flap and I pulled it open to a small enough crack to stick my head in.

"Sten?" I asked softly, there was a rustle and I saw his giant form sit up.

"Yes Atashi? You called?" He said, his deep voice was not drowsy from one that would've been sleeping, he sounded quite awake.

"It is time for third watch…" I whispered at him.

"I will be out momentarily." He said. I hurriedly pulled my head out of his tent and walked over to the fire to wait for him to come out of his own. I didn't have to wait long for him to come out, what surprised me was that he was wearing full battle armor, and carrying his great sword. It took Alistair at least three times that long to get on his own armor, and his armor was usually not taken care of that well, while Sten's gleamed in the fire like it was new.

I walked to my tent when he was seated by the fire.

I slipped into my tent. I shed my sleeping clothes, and put on my blue under-armor and my chest plate before grabbing my bow. I walked back out to sit on a log that would give him a look at the forest, and it would give him a clear view of myself too. I put my bow on my lap, similar to how his sword was, and I waited. I wanted a little more light before I went out to do my mission.

"You are waiting, for what I wonder?" he said to the night air.

"I am waiting for a little more light so when I scout I can see more of the morning animals and threats."

"Do darkspawn limit themselves to hunting us during the day?" he asked.

"No, but if there is an ambush I can hear them waking and getting ready."

"They sleep?" he asked surprised. I smiled at him, I had woken up a darkspawn when it was sleeping before. It also vomited at me as soon as I killed it.

"Yes." I said turning back to the fire. About ten minutes later I couldn't stand the silence, so I got up to leave.

"I am going now, see you later, Sten" I said as I turned to blend into the forest.

"Panahedan Atashi." Was all that he said as I walked away.

* * *

><p>Redcliff was everything that I thought it was going to be. A village lay in the middle of a surrounding cliff that overlooked a lake that was near a stone set castle. Something had my hair on edge, the air was wrong, the ground felt wrong, and I felt myself pulling my cloak tighter on myself. Sten who had taken it upon himself to watch over me beside for third watch, put a hand on my shoulder and drew me closer and a small way behind him. People usually looked at his towering figure and not my smaller one that was moving in his shadow.<p>

"Human, up ahead." I whispered, my voice barley reached outside of my hood, and Sten bellowed it to Alistair who was in the lead. He waved, but he was still pissed off from out fight earlier that morning.

He and I had gotten into another argument about going into Redcliff. I had told him to go and shove a stick up his ass when he even suggested taking me into the village. This had sparked several other fights about cowards, and fools. Soon though he had gotten his way, and now I was going to go with him to Redcliff. I had found large enough boots that would support me walking, and I was hooded to cover my horns and the cloak helped with hiding my tail and arms.

The human in question stared up at us. His clothing was covered in dust, his hair matted, his skin was pale, and the bow that he had on his back was lacking in the proper care it would need. He saw us, rubbed his eyes and quickly stumbled to us.

"I… thought that I saw travelers on the road… but I didn't believe my eyes!" he said in an astonished voice. Alistair stopped him from running into us, and I made a sound in the back of my throat that could only be described as a small rumble.

"I am on important business I need to see Arl Eamon." Alistair said in a strong voice. Morrigan who was my other guardian snorted, but didn't say anything.

"The Arl? Then… you don't know? Has no one out there heard of what has befallen Redcliff?" He said in a scared voice.

"I've heard that the Arl is sick, but that was it." Alistair said in a soothing voice, the now hysterical archer was not getting hysterical on us.

"He could be dead for all we know! And then the village is attacked every night by _things_ and…" The man started to have trouble breathing, but Leliana somewhat soothed him into telling us more.

Apparently someone named Bann Teagan was holding the village together in the Chantry. Alistair like the fool he was charged right into the village with the man by his side leaving us all to follow him. For once I wished that I could shrink and be small like an elf, because I was almost towering over most of the people in the group made most of the human's eyes followed me, and the Qunari around. Sten pulled me aside when we entered the Chantry and motioned for Morrigan to continue with the group. He gripped my shoulders tightly and I realized that I was trembling because of nerves.

"Calm yourself Atashi, meditate and find peace." He said softly, I followed his advice in taking a deep breath and calming my mind. I also became very aware on how much the boots were pinching my feet, or how my tail longed to be out of the confiding cloak to twitch and move with my body. My hands were clamped firmly in my cloak as I scanned the room filled with crying human woman and children. My bow right now was in Bodahn's cart and a thin blade great sword was strapped to my back. Sten had found it a few days ago, and had given me the giant long blade now favored over my bow… well until I had another scouting mission, then I would take my bow back.

I kept my head down, but watched Alistair as he approached a man with bright clothes and red hair. They embraced, but over the wailing of the humans I couldn't hear the conversation that they had. But the conversation itself was filled with wild gesturing and for a startling moment they all looked back at me. The hand gestures continued, then Alistair nodded and the man retreated into one of the side rooms. Alistair and the others came back to my position with Sten. Morrigan seemed to be fuming and shooting glares at Alistair which he happily returned. Leliana looked uncomfortable and the Mabari that he had called Duran was panting happily.

"Go on fool, I will explain your suicidal plan to her… and hope that she rips you head from your shoulders." Morrigan snapped at Alistair, who shot her another glare but left with Leliana and Duran.

"Go too, Qunari, you are needed in the village." She said, Sten nodded once understanding the Morrigan could take care of anyone that would be a problem and exited the church.

"Tell me." I said simply as Morrigan fumed.

"The fool has agreed to lend the village his aid. They speak of evil things that have been attacking the village, and how many of the villagers have died in the assaults. Alistair has agreed to help, but you are not to help with what you are good at. Alistair has decided that you are to do something that is not to your advantage…" she trailed off.

"Go on…" I said, and I listen to his plan which after hearing I did want to rip his head from his body.

* * *

><p>The old wooden door was undoubtedly locked and barred. Alistair <em>would<em> give me the solo mission of getting the veteran Dwyn to fight with the Militia to save to town. I was the worst at convincing people than I was will first impressions. I sighed and slowly knocked on the door. There was no answer, so I decided to call out.

"Hello?" I called, there was no answer. Oh, well, guess no one was home! I was all too happy to walk away, but a sort of cough made me stop in my tracks. Great, there was someone in there.

I had no lock picking skills like Leliana, but I did have strength. I looked left then right before I aimed my best kick at the door. It wasn't full of strength to nock the door off of its hinges, but to break the lock. I could hear it shattering and I slowly opened the door, hand on my sword.

"Hello?" I called again, only to have a crossbow bolt embed itself right next to my head. I froze and looked to see a dwarf and two of his lackeys standing there. The dwarf was reloading his crossbow. I quickly got into the room and shut the door behind me. I dropped my hand from my sword hilt, I knew that was foolish, but the dwarf's aim was a little off, or what was right next to my head was a warning shot because no one could miss at point blank range.

"Wonderful. An Intruder. I hope that you have a good reason for breaking and entering into my home." He said, I sighed.

"I apologize. I didn't mean any harm." I said in a clear voice. He snorted.

"Right, a hooded six foot woman who breaks the lock on my door didn't mean any harm."

I slowly reached up and took down my hood.

"By the Ancestors!" He said, his face now whiter than it was.

"My names Seiren. I am with the Grey Warden, Alistair. We are here to help the village." I told him.

"The name's Dwyn, pleased to meet you. Now get out." He said.

"Not until you tell me what your doing shut up in here." I told him.

"Surviving. We have enough supplies to last us a while. My boys and I can swing a weapon better than any of those fools out there." He said simply. I blinked, that was blunt. I decided to be blunt too.

"You'll die in here just as easily as you would out there. Probably easier now that I have broken the lock on your door."

"Thanks for that, but that's also not really an issue. We have boards that we can put across it as soon as you leave." He said crossing his arms over his chest. I decided not to tell him that if he did that and didn't help with the battle that I would lead a group of the things over to his house and kick in his door.

"Cant I change you mind?" I pleaded, not willing to fail on this mission.

"Maybe. Let's hear what you've got." He said. I thought to what I could offer him. I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"How about gold? I'll hire you to fight for the village."

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes, I am." I answered back.

"I won't even stick my head out that door for less than a hundred silvers." He said. I sighed in relief that was much less than what I was expecting him to charge. I took out one of my gold coins and gave it to him.

"You're getting off easy. But I guess this town does need a hero." He said as I opened the door to go.

"Hey! You better be there too when the sun goes down, I'm not fighting for a lost cause, you hear!" I just nodded to him as I walked out of the house. I blew a sigh of relief and walked toward the Chantry pulling my hood back up.

* * *

><p>When I had gone to the shack to recruit the dwarf for the Militia the whole village had been almost deserted, not a thing moving beside the occasional <em>thunk<em> of some hopeful archers who hoped that they would be able to hit at least something when the things attacked. Now with some hope, and some more muscle the village was bustling with activity. Logs were being dragged by tired men and horses as they built barricades. Swords were clashing with rings of steel as men sparred in their breaks from the hard labor. I spotted Sten and Leliana with others digging trenches. I frowned when I saw that, Leliana should be the one that was talking and convincing people to do things for a good cause, not me who had almost no people skills. Alistair was talking with a mayor, both were looking over a map trying to find a common ground on which they could attack and defend from the monsters. Morrigan was standing in the shade of the trees, reading a book that she had taken from the Chantry, I smiled at her obvious aloof attitude and how she had the guts to just flat out tell Alistair to go and do something that made him turn redder than a tomato. Right then I wished that I could go and tell Alistair that I should be the one digging the trenches, and Leliana should be boosting moral for the people. I was half-fucking-dragon I could dig with Sten and we would have them done by the time that we would have our breaks. I stormed over to Morrigan, after not being able to catch Alistair's attention, I sat gracefully next to her and sighed.

"What troubles you?" She asked, I could tell that she really didn't care what was making me angry, but I decided that she owed me at least one therapy session from her since I had caught her in a lie.

"Alistair doesn't know what the hell he is doing." I said after a moment of silence.

She snorted, "Tis sad that you just now realized that."

"Obviously I am not just realizing it, I'm just voicing it." I said shortly.

"Why did you even let him lead anyway?" She asked, one of her golden eyes landed on me, she seemed to be able to see my expression through the hood of my cloak.

I looked up at Alistair, I really looked at him. He was awkward, timid, and not very confident. He would never be able to lead in normal armies, so why had I tried to make him lead? I guess it could be a little of a boost in character, but also something was nagging me that he would have to learn this if we were going to rebuild the Wardens. I looked at him as he then gave a small half grin and a clap on the shoulder of the Mayor. In this light he looked just like…

"Ok, Fuck this!" I snarled, now thoroughly pissed off. I hated secrets, even if I harbored a few of them myself. Why couldn't we just be just open? I growled as I kicked off my boots letting my feet breath, and I ripped off the cloak. I just now wanted to destroy something and if that something was the ground it was ok with me, Alistair could kiss my ass if he didn't like that I was going to not follow his orders.

"Leliana!" I called to her when I got close enough to her. She stopped in mid stroke with her pick axe, and she looked at me. I hadn't been overly friendly with her, but I hadn't been too cold to her that she didn't want to talk to me without that smile that she seemed to have on her face.

"You go and talk to the smith and knights, I'll take care of things here." I told her, she looked relieved.

As she handed me the axe she hurriedly skipped off before I could change my mind. I saw her go into the Chantry, probably to clean up a little before going to do the tasks that Alistair assigned me. Sten looked at me, his expression was almost unreadable except for the approving expression that he wore. I swung the axe into the ditch, being careful not to break it.

"Surprised to see me?" I asked him, as he resumed his own work. In-between the sickening waking of our tools in the hard soil, you could hear snippets of our conversation.

"You should have been assigned to your duty that you are best at, since you are a warrior you should be doing a warrior's job." He said simply, in his neutral voice. I was surprised, this was the first time that he had even referred to me as a warrior.

"Who in the Qunari are the warriors?" I asked, wincing. Another question! Couldn't I just keep my mouth shut around the one person that I wanted to be a falon with?

"Men." He answered, with another swing of his axe. I was confused, did Sten not know that I was a woman?

I decided not to ask him if he knew that I was a woman, the Qunari rules that I had forced him to tell me dictated that I was not one that knew very much about the culture. I had tried, but the stubborn man refused to tell me much about the culture. I hadn't been able to weasel out that much about the Qunari… but I had found that he would stay in silence unless there was something that he wished to address with me, or with Alistair. He was I guess what I considered to be a friend, I certainly trusted him with my life, even if we hadn't really known each other for that long.

The day went on most to be expected. I kept my head down and followed Sten around the whole day, as he gave me instructions. I had deduced on my own the he had been a sort of commander of the Qunari, because he knew his own way around a battle field, and how to set many different ambushes, and where most people had to be. Alistair said that the knights would protect the main path from the castle. The villagers would protect the Chantry if any got through or if the monsters went around and somehow got into the village by some other means. What made me relieved was that the village didn't really care for my own mutation, I think that it gave them hope to have someone that would give them a tactical advantage over the horrible creatures that would spew out of the castle once the sun went down. I knew that if the time called for it, I might have to use my Gift to protect people, but that was only last resort because of my hesitation to actually use it since these people feared it more than they feared the attack.

* * *

><p>Now we took our break, on the cliff with Morrigan who stayed by my side through the entire day, even indirectly. She seemed to be watching over me, more so whenever Sten seemed to be giving orders and his eyes were not on me. Having both of them watching me was something that I didn't like that much, even if they were doing it for the safety of someone. It creeped me out that they were watching me so closely, like there was a secret among them that no one seemed to catch onto. I hated this! I should just bring it all out in the open, I was half dragon, and they would understand the fact that I could do a little magic. Especially fire magic.<p>

"You both have been watching me." I said, breaking the silence that was between all three of us. Morrigan looked up from her book, and Sten stiffened next to me.

"Tis just—" Morrigan moved to either lie to me, or to make up some sort of excuse to their eyes being on me the whole time.

"Do not try to lie to me, Morrigan, you either Sten. I don't expect you to tell me now, but I will know the truth of your actions… either on my own or by the exposing of your lies that you have weaved around me." I told them.

"Atashi, you are being too rash, we have been observing the area, and keeping the eyes on the villagers that would move to harm you because of your different bloodline. Nothing more." He said, if I hadn't known better I would say that he was covering his own ass and Morrigan's also. Interesting. I wondered what would cause them to find common ground and to unite under this secret that they had kept from me.

"Fine. Keep your secret. But know this: I believe you to be my own friends, I will rush into battle to save both of you, but continuation of keeping this from me is very unwise." I said. With that I feel silent.

I didn't notice the look that they gave each other behind my back, but I did notice the sun setting. It was almost time, I would fight, and maybe join Tamlen with the Creators tonight. I was ready, and as I strapped the bow to my back and belted my sword I could not help but to send a little prayer of my own with the others that were being whispered. I wanted my friends and me to make it through this little fight… mostly in one piece.

* * *

><p>Slowly they came. Covered in advancement by green mist that would poison the lungs of those taking deep breaths, because of the foul smell that tasted even fouler on ones tongue. Their own rotting faces, rippled with wounds that showed the dead flesh and bone beneath bodies. Their bodies covered by little tattered rags, did nothing to cover the fact that they had been dead for some time, just now shuffling to some master that had ordered them to attack. The only reason why they were up right now shuffling was because of some unseen master who was controlling their puppet strings. She knew of that master, it was something strong from the Fade, probably in the Desire category.<p>

Morrigan looked at the Qunari who was right next to the one that had called her, the traitorous "witch bitch", friend. It had stirred emotions in Morrigan that she didn't even know that she possessed. She was in a war within her own self, she knew that she did love the fact that both her and the Half-elf possessed a bond that others didn't understand, but her herself did not know if that bond was really friendship. The unspoken deal that she and the Qunari had was meant for convenience, this much was certain, they would not speak of what they knew about their "Friend" until the moment was right. When the moment was right, not even Morrigan knew that moment, but her own bitch mother had said that she would know when that moment was. She hoped that she had the courage to tell her own friend what she knew when the moment was right.

Morrigan was stationed near the cliff edge, being a battle mage she was equipped for fighting, but not for defending, so Seiren had suggested that she stay at the edge, and help when she was needed. Morrigan looked down once or twice when they had climbed the cliff, it was a sheer drop on the other side so she would have to be careful. Seiren herself had decided that she would fight in the main serge of the battle, her and the Qunari together were a very dangerous force, even if Seiren was inexperienced with a sword, her strength was one that compensated and with the very knowledge that she could just stand there and decapitate enemies with just a flick of her own wrist. That and Morrigan had observed with the others just how quick and agile both of them were when fighting just on their own, in their own meditation/ duel sessions that they had every night. Alistair stood with the other knight, and Leliana who had brought it upon herself to use her bow from a distance and to fight. Alistair was a fool for not letting Seiren lead their party, Morrgan suspected that Seiren knew something about the stupid oaf that lead to the decision of her becoming the second or sometimes third in command. Their mutt was running to and fro, almost as if it didn't know of the danger that was now spilling, like a flood down the hill.

Morrigan slowly pulled the staff from her back and summoned her mana, it was going to be a long battle, and she had many things to do with just three lyrium potions strapped to her belt. Slowly she summoned something that would slow down the corpses but wouldn't get in the way of the people down the path. Unknowing of the danger that was approaching her from behind, Morrigan started her battle magic dance.

* * *

><p>I looked left then right at the ring of corpses that were attacking me from all angles. I knew that I had charged in recklessly, and that I would hear no end of it from Sten. But that didn't stop me from doing it anyway. I was tougher than humans, even Qunari, and I would put myself in the most danger if it meant another father gets to go home to his family. In shorter words, I had nothing to lose or gain from doing this. When in doubt I learned that if I just charge the enemy that things would most of the time go ok.<p>

Just as I took out another corpse with my giant sword, I felt it. The buzzing that I had not heard for days, since we had passed into Redcliff territory. It was my mind telling me that Darkspawn were coming in fast for this battle. Why they were coming at a time like this, I had no idea, but even I cursed our luck that they would chose to attack in this battle.

Spotting a nearby tree, I cut down another foe before sheathing my sword and clawing my way up the tree. Slowly I scanned the chaos that was our battlefield. It had only been about an hour of fighting, but already the others were tiring from the constant stream of enemies that were coming from the castle.

Unknowing to the other Grey Warden in the stream of fighting, there were Darkspawn in the field of fighting, but I couldn't see any. They were staying out of my sight, and as far as I knew they weren't that intelligent, maybe the Archdemon was able to seep some of its intelligence to its subjects. That thought scared me the most, mainly because if he could do that then he was going to take us out faster than you could say… what the hell was behind Morrigan? I narrowed my eyes, it was in the shadows, but even with my night vision I couldn't see it. It was big, and almost invisible against the night.

"Morrigan!" I shouted, my voice didn't even put a dent in the clashing of steel and shouts. Her hands glowed and she froze another corpse in place. The thing then chose to slowly move toward her, it was huge! The only darkspawn I could think of that would be that giant was an ogre, and if it was an ogre then Morrigan was fucked.

I jumped from my tree, digging my claws into the ground so that I could push off more efficiently as I ran to protect the one that I considered Falon. It was on her fast, but I was lucky that I was almost faster. I knocked Morrigan out of the way, taking a side blow meant for her in my ribs, if effectively dented my armor and I could feel one of my ribs snap. Then it roared and grabbed at me. With me still recovering from the blow I had no time to dodge, and soon my feet were dangling from the ground. It roared at me as I stared death in the face, and I spat at it. The ogre didn't like that very much and it didn't like it when Morrigan recovered she sent a flying swarm at it.

Even I could be prepared for what happened next, as the ogre stumbled away from the swarm, still not letting go of its prize, I felt it stumble and then I was falling in the darkness. Only to be dimly aware of the sharp rock banging against my armor, shrubs pulling at my exposed under armor and hair. I then felt no ground that was pulling at me anymore, I was in the air now. Then I hit the water, and I felt it's black debts pull me into its murky water. A larger splash showed the the ogre was right behind me, so I did the only logical thing to me at the time, I swam away from the thing. But I was buised and battered, along with those things I also had heavy armor that was pulling me down.

Slowly I made it to shore. Shaking droplets of water from my hair. My knees decided to give out from me, and I struggled out of my chestplate that was dented and scrached. My gauntlets and leg were soon followed the other armor on the shore. I sensed that my body was worse for wear. I had a few bruised ribs, several sore muscles, and a sprained ankle. Slowly I lowered myself to the rocks and sand along the edge of the foaming shore. I breathed a sigh of relief that I had survived a cliff drop of death.

But my relief was short lived, because as I felt my body take me into the Beyond, the roar of the ogre could be heard.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: So this is where it gets a little AU, just in the sense that you cannot do this story with a half dragon without it being a little AU… Sorry for all that don't like that, but its what I write so I guess I'm asking you to give me a little slack for this story.**

**Angel **

**Also sorry for not updating for so long, a lot of stuff kept on coming up, and I started a FP story so I've had my mind on that, that and Skyrim... lovely Skyrim. Also enjoy this chapter **

_The morning dew was slippery as I swung from each different branch, I had almost fallen twice, but I was too stubborn to even consider coming down to walk by them on the ground. This path was the safest that I could see, but I couldn't help but to think that this might be the perfect spot for an ambush. The forest was getting thinner, and that seemed to worry all in the party. I didn't like it when I couldn't run in the trees, and Alistair thought the same._

_ When we got to the clearing, I saw that we were now coming along cliffs, it wouldn't be long now, to Redcliff. Now the trails were getting dangerous and by nightfall they were forced to stop because of the sheer drop on the other side. I could guide them, but one misstep or ambush and someone could fall to their own deaths. _

_ The camp was silent. We didn't talk much and when watches came up people muttered which one they would take. To my surprise Alistair and Leliana decided to take a watch together. Maybe Alistair was afraid of heights or something. After their little announcement I found myself watching them closely. Their body language suggested that they were both someone taken with each other, they reminded me of a young pair that were too shy to admit that they both enjoyed each others company… but then again it was too early to see what they would do about their feelings. There was definitely something there._

_ I sat next to Sten who was sharpening his sword, still in his armor. He looked at me as I spooned the stew that we had made into my mouth. I didn't taste it, I was too busy expanding my senses to try to see what the hell had me on edge. _

_ "You are tense… what is wrong." He said as he checked his sword's sharpness before bringing the wet stone against the metal again. I shivered there it was! That feeling that had me on edge, there was something out there, and it had been following us._

_ "I sense something, it is not right." I told him, I seemed to glance up._

_ "Will you do a scouting mission to see what it might be?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders. _

_ "Then you should not feel tense, if you believe that you will find nothing." He told me. _

_ After a few more moments, I realized the truth in his words._

_ "Screw this, I'm going, I'll be back soon." I told him, grabbing my bow. He nodded, not taking his eyes off of his sword. _

_ "Panahedan Atashi" he said as I turned to leave. _

_ "Panahedan Sten." I said as I walked away. I almost didn't catch the shocked look he gave me as I walked away. _

In my defense I was suffering from lack of oxygen. I don't know why I was thinking of the moment that Sten and I had shared a few nights before. I had just lost my vision because of the million lights that were flashing before my eyes, replacing the Ogre that was strangling me with that lovely memory.

"I'm… sorry…" I managed to gurgle out as I lost my ability to draw breath.

Who was I apologizing to? Alistair for being such a frigid bitch to him? To Leliana for not trusting her? To Morrigan for not trusting her, or befriending her? To Sten for not… what? Sten, what did I want to apologize to him for? There was nothing that I regretted doing, just wished that I had more time…

I began to loose feeling in my limbs. So when I was suddenly dropped to the hard ground I didn't feel it. There was a cry of "Ataash Qunari!" and my vision cleared up enough to see Sten charging across the shore, his sword flashing in the moonlight as he slashed at the ogre.

It roared and tried to knock him aside with its giant arms. It then roared as he slashed a deep gash in his arm, and he had to roll out of its way as it smashed it. A giant crater was made into the sandy/ rocky shore as it smashed its hands into the ground. Sten took advantage of it again and managed to slash two giant gashes into its legs.

"Katara, Bas!" Sten snarled at it.

Slowly I began to get up, I needed to help him. Again, my brain was on little oxygen so I wasn't thinking straight. I just had one thought, to help Sten and to defend myself. So when I got up, I waited until my vision stopped spinning for my opening. I got one soon after that, when the ogre had his back turned to me. I managed to get my limbs to start working and I ran and attached myself to the back of the ogre. Like a cat, I dug my claws into its skin (which popped as my claws slid through it like a knife through butter) and I tangled its feet with my tail. It started to shake as it defended itself from Sten, and it tried to flip me off of its back. Feeling my grip slip, I bit savagely into its neck, welcoming the burning that its blood caused my mouth.

But soon even that wasn't enough, and in my weakened state I felt myself being flung from the ogre's back and into a small pile of rocks near the shore. The wind was knocked out of me, and I felt myself begin to go numb again. I tried to focus on what the hell was happening with the fight, and when I managed to turn my head that suddenly felt like it was a hundred pounds. I saw Sten slash two times into the ogre and it crashing to the ground to twitch several times before laying still.

But it wasn't over, of course it was never over. The buzzing became stronger and stronger. I had never felt such a strong force as I was feeling now, and it was coming from only one darkspawn. Well, one type of darkspawn, several different vessels. I wheezed, and Sten took a step toward me, but that's only as far as he got before he was suspended in midair by an unknown force.

"Sten…" A hoarse whisper forced itself out of my bruised throat.

"Do not fret for the Qunari, for I have not harmed him, daughter." A child's voice called out to me. My eyes shifted to see a small boy perched on a rock.

His clothes were finely made, actually they looked like they would be the type that a noble would force on their children. He just didn't seem like that much of a child, he smiled, but it looked more like a very sophisticated smile. His long golden hair surrounded his mature looking face. But what drew me in was his eyes, they were the same as mine.

"Who… are?" I slowly forced out of my throat. He frowned, and jumped lightly from the rock into the sand.

"Me? Well, that's a long story. But first we have some things to do before I can explain that." He said, he walked past the struggling Sten, to look at me. Sten had a sort of snarl fixed on his lips, he struggled against the ward that held him.

"Are… you… dark… spawn?" I got out, the boy-child laughed.

"Of course not, you can sense our kind as well as darkspawn. Didn't you realize that with the Drakes?" I felt my blood turn to ice, how in the hell did he know about that?

"Your underdeveloped, that's why Zazikel sent the ogre after you. Didn't do much good, did it?" He said, examining me like one would an interesting piece of art. I had to resist the urge to bite at him when he looked deep into my eyes.

"You quite weak for a daughter of the Fire. We will have to unlock your powers by force then. Its not like we have much of a choice if you are going to be of use to us." He said.

I had no idea of what he was talking about. But I didn't think that he was going to hurt me, I wasn't getting the urge to snarl or react with my instincts so that wasn't a problem. I looked at him, now interested.

"what… do?" I forced that out of my throat too. He cocked his head to the side, and a smirk replaced the dazzling smile before.

"He crushed your windpipes, that's why this discussion is one sided, no problem. I'll just talk, unlock your Fire nature, and then you'll have them back." He said, then snapped his fingers to unlock Sten.

The boy stepped to the side as Sten's sword swung in a arc that would've cleaved the boy in half, as it smashed into the rocks and soil.

"The Qunari. A vicious monster that will kill or convert everything in its path. A worthy foe, but sadly I am stronger, faster, and I can fly." He taunted Sten as he swung at the boy only to have his sword hit the ground or empty air.

The child seemed to be playing with Sten, I could only watch as Sten soon became too blinded by his rage to even keep his blows controlled. He kept on spewing Qunari phrases as he was most certainly cursing the little boy. After several moments of this, the boy yawned and aimed a round house kick at the Qunari. It made Sten take a step back because of the force behind the blow. Even though he blacked it with his sword, the force of the kick must have sent shockwaves down into his hands. Another kick, and another step. Four kicks later, Sten was kneeling on the ground, panting. The boy didn't have a hair out of place, even his bare feet didn't have any dirt on them.

"Are you done with your temper tantrum? Or do you want to go at it again?"

"Bas Saarebas. I will kill you."

"Me a mage? I shudder at the thought, even the daughters and sons cannot be mages! No follower of the Qun, I am a dragon." He said.

At once I thought the boy was delusional. He was a human, or looked like one. He didn't smell like one, though. For some reason when I smelled his scent I smelled the soft smell of wood smoke, but also crystal glaciers. He smelled like a pine forest, but also a small scent of mint. Who knew, he could just have been a dragon that found human form, that would explain my existence easier. I shutter to think how my mother conceived me with a giant dragon.

"You are still a Saarebas if you control the curse of magic. I will not listen to your words for they mirror the voices of demons." He spat.

I felt my heart sink. Sten didn't know that I could control magic, otherwise those words would be directed at me.

"You really think that way, do you think that I should also die, just because of what I am?" The boy asked the Qunari. I felt my heart beat harder when Sten answered.

"Without a doubt." He said, then as if he got a rush of strength he swung again at the boy. The boy gave a happy yelp and dodged the sword. He kicked Sten in the back and Sten fell at my feet. The boy landed on Sten's back, and must have weighed a ton because when Sten tried to get up, he didn't move an inch off of the ground. He kneeled on the giant's back and put his mouth near Sten's ear. His golden hair made a blanket that muffled the next thing that he said. I could hear it clear as day.

"Then you should be pointing that sword at the one that you protect, for she like me, has the gift that you fear." He whispered into Sten's ear.

The horrified look that was painted on Sten's face when he looked at me was enough for me to bow my head in shame. I knew that soon that sword that he had would be buried in my chest, just for lying to him.

"Now that that's in the open, lets just get down to business. Since you probably want her dead, I'll take her off of your hands for now. Don't worry, you'll be seeing her very soon, Qunari." The boy said, as he kicked Sten into the lake.

I looked at him as he got onto the rocks next to my head. He gave me one more smile before he grabbed my under armor and pulled me up. Only it was up into the sky, we were flying!

"By the way, my name's Andoral, nice to meet you, Seiren." Was the last thing that I saw before my body gave out.

* * *

><p>Morrigan sat at the steps of the Chantry. She simply refused to go into the foolish place, but stayed outside for the rest of the night. The Qunari had been gone for almost the whole battle, they had missed him, but it had not had that big of an effect on the outcome of the battle. They had won, and lost only a handful of the men that were stupid and tried to be heroes.<p>

The sounds from the stupid bar could be heard even this far down the cliff. They had started celebrating as soon as the suns first rays had kissed the cliffs tips. The drunken men whooping also made Morrigan's mood turn fouler. They should be searching for the one that helped fight, not be celebrating like stupid idiots.

Morrigan missed her own friend, and she cursed her own foolishness of firing the spell that made them lose her friend in the first place. It flashed before her eyes again, Seiren's face when both her and the ogre had taken the tumble down the cliff, her friend had the look of acceptance on her face when they had fallen down the cliff. Somehow she knew that she was going to either go down the cliff, or that she was going to die. Either way, it was Morrigan's fault that she had taken that ogre down the cliff with her.

She wished that she could have told her friend what she was keeping from her. The Qunari knew what she was speaking of, what she thought of, but the others would not take the news well, and she feared Seiren's reaction. Her first friend, and she had completely messed that friendship up. She had lied to Seiren, had done so many things that would make anyone else run away screaming, but Seiren had ignored the fact that Morrigan was generally unfriendly, and had moved passed the fact that Morrigan was only human. It was like Seiren had expected to be stabbed in the back when she agreed to be friends with Morrigan. It puzzled the mage that someone would set themselves up just to be hurt.

"Tis stupid. I just don't know what to think of her." She hissed to herself as she wallowed in her own self-pity.

"You should not be speaking of such things. Your mother would not approve of you getting attached to a Halfling." A voice as sweet as honey said.

Immediately Morrigan had her staff in one hand and a ball of purple lightning in the other. She knew that voice, or well, she knew what her mother said about voice like his.

He was truly beautiful, and had an aura that was powerful. No wonder Mother had been so attracted to him. He breathed male, but also power. Two thing that she seemed to be attracted to. The man was at least Alistair's height, but had a thicker build. Two golden bands wound around his arms, as they attached to a golden breastplate. Golden pants and boots clothed the rest of him. His golden hair only reached to his shoulders, and was pushed back. A golden goatee hid a strong chin, strong cheek bones, but Morrigan found herself entranced by his eyes. Those golden eyes. They were the same as Seiren's.

"Your friend is alive, but her Qunari sidekick is making it harder for Andoral to do his job, not that he minds at all, just as long as you keep your end of the bargain, we will keep ours."

Morrigan knew that much, just one little question was falling in her mind.

"Where does Seiren fall in all of this?" Morrigan hissed at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"That is none of your concern, but do not fret she will be ready when the time comes. But what ultimately happens to her is up to Torth and Dumat."

"I hope you keep your word, dragon, because if you don't then there will be hell to pay." She hissed.

He smiled and then disappeared.

A few moments later Alistair approached her. With Leliana, the dog, and a very pissed looking Qunari who must have just came from the lake. His face was unreadable, but he looked like he wanted to go genocide on someone.

"Ok, so the Bann has given me a signet ring that should open a passageway under the old mill, it should lead us straight into the castle. Once there, we go into the courtyard, open the gates and storm the castle. The biggest thing that we will run into is whatever is summoning these creatures. They said that a blood mage has opened the Fade, and that is summoning those things. We must be prepared to kill the blood mage at all costs." He said.

Morrgan nodded, and prepared herself. This was going to be more complicated.

* * *

><p>Leliana opened her eyes. It felt like a great weight had been lifted up from her head, but her body felt like it had been run over by a renegade wagon. She opened her eyes to be greeted by the vision of the floor in the Arl's great hall. She moaned and slowly picked herself off of the floor, she saw the others slowly climbing to their feet as she was doing. Slowly, ignoring the creaking of her body, and her arms from shooting so much the night before, she got to her feet. The sight that greeted her was one that she had never thought to be seeing. All of the soldiers that they had lost to were in various charred pieces across the room. Connor was being suspended in the middle of the room, but there was something else, something that was with him. Leliana didn't get a clear look at it, because she saw that Seiren was there.<p>

Her hair was out of the pony tail that she usually wore it in, it seemed to sway around her as if swaying to a nonexistent breeze. Her under armor was ripped in countless places, blotched with dark blood that looked like darkspawn blood. Leliana could not see any visible wounds, which was unheard of after one dropped off of a cliff.

"Seiren… Wa?" She asked, only to have her eyes look around Seiren. Or that thing that looked like her.

Surrounding the half dragon was this aura, that had taken a golden color. The aura also took the form of a dragon, that almost took up the whole room. Her tail was lashing back and forth, a sign of anger. Seiren seemed to be separate from the aura, but they seemed to also be connected.

"I have released them! Now honor your deal, dragon." Conner hissed at Seiren.

"Once you honor your own deal, demon. Once you release the boy I will be appeased." Seiren hissed at him, Leliana felt a shiver go through her whole frame. That wasn't Seiren's voice, it was like several voices were talking at the same time.

"This was not part of the bargain. You—" He didn't get to say anything else, because a visible shutter went through his small frame. He then fell from Seiren's limb hands.

"I have completed my end of the bargain, you foolish demon. Be grateful that I am even letting the boy live, or for instance you." Seiren hissed, turning around to face her teammates. Leliana felt the blood drain out of her face, Seiren's eyes they were completely black where there was supposed to be white and her normally golden eyes were now white surrounding the black slits. Her face wore an expression that Leliana had never seen anyone wear in her lifetime. It was one devote of any emotion, of any recognition, of anything that made that thing look like Seiren.

"Conner!" Isolde screeched as she tried to run to her son. But she was slammed back by the phantom that was hovering around with Seiren. Seiren had moved her own tail, and the thing's tail moved with her own helping her get a better reach to the woman that was half way across the room.

Her tail bashed into the Arlessa and flung her across the room. Isolde hit the ground hard, and with a crack as her head hit one of the steps.

"My Lady!" Teghan shouted as he ran to her, gently helping her to her feet. She rubbed her head, her eyes shut tight.

"Knights, attack that thing!" He shouted, Leliana could only watch as Alistair shouted "No!" before the knights charged Seiren.

With just a flick of her tail, the whole regiment of knights flew into the walls, and out of the main door. Seiren shrieked, and roared. A sound that was higher than the shrieks of darkspawn. A long roar, which was stopped and turned into a roar of pain when Duran launched himself off of the floor and at the half dragon. His teeth sank into the upper thigh that wasn't protected by hard scales. She swatted him off, and Leliana watched in awe when the wound heeled itself before their eyes.

"I was trying to save all of you foolish humans! Now you have succeeded in pissing me off! She may think of you as her friends, but you will pay for this!" She shrieked. She kneeled down, and the golden dragon apparition reared up and gave a silent roar. She drew her long two handed sword, and Leliana watched as the golden aura surrounded the sword and turned it into a beautiful weapon, and the dragon on the metal blade seemed to move and hiss.

To her complete amazement Seiren's gaze landed on her, and then she lashed out with her sword. Leliana closed her eyes, shielding her face from the blast. She was pushed to the side, by a mass that called out her name. She looked into the brown concerned and determined eyes of Alistair. Her heart gave a lurch and her face broke into a smile when she saw the proximity of their faces.

"Thank you Alistair, you saved me." She said gratefully. His face flushed when he saw how close he was to her, and quickly got off of her, helping her up.

They looked over to see that Morrigan had gotten Sten out of the way.

"Qunari, talk to it while we try to get that thing out of her conscious mind." She hissed.

"What are we supposed to do?" Alistair asked her, Morrigan looked at them both.

"Try to get through to her, in this room are all of the people that might be able to do it, talk to her, and try to make her calm down!" Morrigan shouted, and shot a bolt of lightning at the apparition.

The apparition roared and launched itself at Morrigan as Sten sidestepped it and clashed blades with Seiren. Leliana drew her bow and tried to find a good place to assist Morrigan. She drew her bow and fired, seeing that the dragon just incinerated the arrow. Leliana prepared to take another shot, when she saw Alistair flying across the room. Sten followed him into another wall. She quickly fired her arrows trying to distract it while the other two warriors got up. Only to be slammed into the wall again. All too soon she felt the burning return to her arms, symbolizing that she had gotten soft when she was in the Chantry.

"This has to end!" She yelled at Morrigan. Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Tis not that easy, if I had a way to subdue her without killing her, I would do it in the time it took me to say this piece." Morrigan spat. Then she seemed to get an idea.

She shot a dark purple mass at Seiren, and Leliana gasped as Seiren kneeled over clutching the place where the spell had hit. But Leliana saw that the thing that was Seiren was smiling at the mage, an evil mocking grin.

"You foolish mortal, this is not enough— No! What did you do?" The voice snarled. The dragon slowly began to shrink back into Seiren's body. Slowly she began to stumble and she dropped her sword that instantly turned back to what it was before the powers had gotten to it. Slowly she began to change, her eyes going back to normal, her hair limp, her scales lost the golden glow and faded back to black. She slumped to the ground, her arms catching her own fall and she breathed heavily. Seiren was back, or at least she was in control.

"Thank… you falon… your… spell worked." Seiren gasped. She was shaking, her whole body was vibrating with force that could be called exhaustion.

"I am glad, that spell could kill any normal person, but it seemed to have the effect that I needed it to." Morrigan said as she slowly walked across the room to help Seiren up. Leliana quickly got down from her perch to run to Alistair who was groaning.

"Alistair!" She called as she helped him up. He groaned and looked at her.

"Bloody Maker! Leliana, lets not do that again." He said as she slowly helped him up. Only to have him sink back to his knees in exhaustion. She sank down with him, and noticed his gaze wasn't on her, but on a point behind her. She looked behind her and wasn't surprised for his questioning expression.

Morrigan had stepped out of the way and was checking on Connor, but that wasn't what they were looking at. The other two standing there in the room was what Leliana had her eyes on. Seiren stood, back straight, eyes clearly looking at Sten as he stared back down at her. He crossed his arms across his chest, and she shifted on her feet a guilty expression painted on her face. He then reached out and put a massive hand on the side of her face, she looked up at him in shock before doing the same, her hand was almost as large as his if you counted her claws. It was as if they were making sure the other was really there, or really there and unharmed. Some sort of understanding passed between them, something that not even Leliana in all of her wisdom could comprehend. But the moment was quickly ruined. Their hands fell, and they were back to shuffling on their feet, well she was shuffling, Leliana noticed that Sten was ridged.

"Your footwork needs work. You also hit like a woman, Atashi." He growled at her. She blinked before smiling.

"You're just pissed that a woman swept you off your feet." Seiren shot back. She took a step forward, and put a claw on Sten's chest. "And a _woman_ was beating your ass, for _your_ information, Sten." She growled as she stuck her finger repeatedly into his chest.

"You are a warrior, act like one." He growled back, grabbing her hand and keeping it there away from his chest.

"What do you mean? I am a warrior!" She said back. Leliana felt a light sigh escape her lips.

"Look at the love birds fight, they are cute, non?" She whispered to Alistair, he chuckled. Leliana looked up to see Seiren glaring at her. Leliana quickly looked away from those searing eyes, if looks could kill…

"Love birds? T'would seem that she isn't the only one." A voice said behind her, she jumped and looked at Morrigan's smug face as she looked at the two that were so close together.

Leliana was sure that if Alistair could move right now he would have jumped away from her, but he did blush madly when Morrigan raised a challenging eyebrow at the two of them.

"Don't you have to check on the Arlessa?" She asked sweetly. Morrigan scowled at her and turned and walked away. Leliana couldn't help but to feel like she wished that Morrigan was right in this matter.

**Ok, so to tell you the truth, I kept on writing and deleting this chapter. I was really scared to post this because of it's AU ness, but I guess if you are reading this then you read the whole chapter. OR you just like coming to the end of a fic to read the random ramblings of a tired author. I promise that the next chapter will be up faster… hopefully.**


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